Shared water supply

[Mottie]

We were paying £64 a month based on rateable value and that has now gone down to £29 per month on a meter.

 

[gazzab1968]

We were paying £64 a month based on rateable value and that has now gone down to £29 per month on a meter.

That’s good news, unlikely to happen at our gaff, we have a one acre garden and a family of 6……hence my reluctance to go on a meter if at all possible…

 

[jeds]

Perhaps you misunderstood my original comment. You stay on a rated supply but fit a water meter to the outgoing supply and charge them accordingly for what they use.

 

[gazzab1968]

Perhaps you misunderstood my original comment. You stay on a rated supply but fit a water meter to the outgoing supply and charge them accordingly for what they use.

Not sure that’s even legal is it? It’s a shared supply, I can’t just set up my own water company! Lol! You’d need Thames Water buy in as well as there’s, not going to happen…

 

[motorbiking]

You may have the right to bill them 50% of the cost to separate the water supply. As with the septic tank. As it stands you could potentially ask them to pay for 50% of the water bill. I say potentially, because the prescription act is old and these are not domestic properties.

Did you get a survey/searches done on the property? Was this something you knew about when you bought the place?

The problem you have, is this: so far they have had it great. Free water and free sewage. Getting them to do anything will need persuasion. However, it is not all bad. They have to claim the right, not the other way around.

It feels like you need to start them on a journey that leads to them getting their own supply. This will likely take the form of serving them notices and estimated costs.

 

[carmanmemoranda]

Just a thought ? If you go away on holiday are you allowed to turn off the water to avoid any potential leak getting worse? As long as you advise the neighbour in advance that you will be doing so ?

 

[gazzab1968]

Just a thought ? If you go away on holiday are you allowed to turn off the water to avoid any potential leak getting worse? As long as you advise the neighbour in advance that you will be doing so ?

That’s a thought but I’m not sure on the legality of turning off someone else’s water for two weeks while I go on holiday even if it’s just a village hall…

 

[gazzab1968]

You may have the right to bill them 50% of the cost to separate the water supply. As with the septic tank. As it stands you could potentially ask them to pay for 50% of the water bill. I say potentially, because the prescription act is old and these are not domestic properties.

Did you get a survey/searches done on the property? Was this something you knew about when you bought the place?

The problem you have, is this: so far they have had it great. Free water and free sewage. Getting them to do anything will need persuasion. However, it is not all bad. They have to claim the right, not the other way around.

It feels like you need to start them on a journey that leads to them getting their own supply. This will likely take the form of serving them notices and estimated costs.

So, yes, we did have all of the searches done as is usual. The searches did raise the issue of the septic tank but the seller wasn’t prepared to enter into any new negotiations with the village hall at the point of selling. We knew it was shared but it wasn’t an issue that was going to prevent us continuing with the purchase knowing we would use the legal basis that if no previous agreement was in place then it would be 50/50. We also knew the water came off of the main that fed our home but weren’t aware we had their stop cock in our son’s bedroom in the annex!

We are now starting negations on both the septic tank and the water issue with a village hall committee who have said such ridiculous things like ‘your wooden mushrooms are too tall and not regulation height’! Lol!! But you are correct that they won’t be keen to pay their way after having it easy for so many years….I’ll be employing a few tricks to ease them into the right and moral direction though….

 

[motorbiking]

Sometimes you need to spend some of the money that you hoped to save, when you took all these things in to consideration.

 

[jacko555]

If they don't know the water comes from your stop tap.
Maybe you don't know as well.

As part of plumbing work you rationalised the pipework.

E.g. turn it off

 

[jeds]

Not sure that’s even legal is it? It’s a shared supply, I can’t just set up my own water company! Lol! You’d need Thames Water buy in as well as there’s, not going to happen…

Er, no. This is common. Lots of people meter water to other users off a main supply. I've developed dozens of blocks of flats and divided houses where this happens.

 

[gazzab1968]

Er, no. This is common. Lots of people meter water to other users off a main supply. I've developed dozens of blocks of flats and divided houses where this happens.

Yes but those properties/flats would be registered with the water company or you’d have a separate rental agreement etc covering water charges. A village hall isn’t going to accept being charged by me as I’m neither a landlord nor a water company. We are two separate entities sharing a supply that happens to be routed through my house internally.

 

[gazzab1968]

If they don't know the water comes from your stop tap.
Maybe you don't know as well.

As part of plumbing work you rationalised the pipework.

E.g. turn it off

Trouble is we have a feeling they do know there is a stop cock inside our home or at least there is a chance they do from previous dealings with our predecessors. Not so sure they would know exactly where it was and we’d plead ignorance. I’d love to turn it off completely given their attitude towards us after we moved in but I reckon we’d be in trouble for turning off their water unilaterally……best idea I’ve seen on here is turning the flow down to a dribble, they’d contact me, I’d tell them to speak to Thames Water, at which point TW would surely ask for the account number they don’t have…??

 

[bernardgreen]

For what it is worth,

The retail unit adjacent ( semi detached ) to my cottage is supplied from the metered water supply to my cottage. Previously the cottage and the retail unit were one property and when the retail unit was sold the need to have a separate water supply was "overlooked" due to the cost of the new connection. Between my cottage and the retail unit is a private meter and they pay me for the water they use and also the sewage charge for that amount of water. It is a private arrangement but it is legal provided I not not make a profit from selling the water they use,

 

[gazzab1968]

For what it is worth,

The retail unit adjacent ( semi detached ) to my cottage is supplied from the metered water supply to my cottage. Previously the cottage and the retail unit were one property and when the retail unit was sold the need to have a separate water supply was "overlooked" due to the cost of the new connection. Between my cottage and the retail unit is a private meter and they pay me for the water they use and also the sewage charge for that amount of water. It is a private arrangement but it is legal provided I not not make a profit from selling the water they use,

That’s useful to know…..so you have a private agreement entered into by both parties….my point on one of my other replies was that the village hall are unlikely to enter into such an agreement on the water supply unless forced to do so. They’re quite happy sponging.