Stopcock and water meter, off side of road

[Rollerball]

My main stop cock and water meter are just off the side of the road in the grass verge. The old metal cover kept getting pushed back by the wheels of tractors, so burying the stopcock in mud and breaking the plastic pipe surrounding the meter.

Water board was called and they've just 'fixed' it, but I'm not sure if they've done it right.

The stopcock assembly has been replaced with a new one and new plastic tube to surround it and the meter. There is also a new concrete surround and a new metal cover with a flap. No problems so far, however:

The main problem is that the new metal cover and surround (which stands about 3 inches high) isn't in any way secured to the concrete that it rests on! This means that the whole metal assembly (flap and the metal surround) can easily be lifted or pushed off as it's fairly lightweight. It could easily be knocked off by a tractor (or any vehicle) - to be honest, a very strong wind (which I get around here) could probably blow it off.

Shouldn't this metal assembly be fixed to the concrete that it rests on?

If so, would it cause any problems with the water board if I simply bedded down the metal cover with some cement? Not sure if I trust the water board's contractors to do it right (plus it would probably take them another two months to come back) and it would only take me 5 minutes. Or would this be considered 'tampering'?

Thanks.

 

[adlplumbing]

don`t worry if tractor does it again then uu will have to sort it since its got their meter in
or alterantive give farm driving lessons

 

[Rollerball]

Well, quite.

But I'm curious if the water board would make a fuss if I carefully cemented the metal cover to the concrete base (as I believe it should have been done by their contractors).

 

[TicklyT]

The construction of the pit as it stands is usually adequate for a grass verge or footpath. The problem is what is a tractor, or any other vehicle doing on the verge in the first place!

In grass verges the frame is usually buried in soil, and held in place by a mixture of grass roots and gravity. Of course, driving over the verge can erode the turf, leaving the top of the pit sticking up like a periscope. That's when the cover is likely to get damaged or go missing when it ends up stuffed through the side of a council lawnmower.

Driving heavy loads over a footway pit could lead to the pit liner being driven downwards, guillotining through your water supply in the process. Additional support around the top of the pit may make that more likely, as it may stop the top of the pit liner collapsing sideways first.

Pits built in roadways are usually of much heavier construction altogether, entirely brickwork or concrete sections.

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks for your very concise reply.

The tractor sometimes goes onto the verge when turning into the field (or road) opposite - the main and side road are fairly narrow at that point, so when he's pulling a trailer (or muck spreader, or other machinery) the wheels often go onto the grass verge.

Perhaps I ought to bank some soil and grass clods around the edge of the cover to hold it in place until the grass can take root?

 

[TicklyT]

There's something to be said for banking up soil and turfs a few inches above the level of the cover, leaving the it in a well in the middle. The banking will settle a bit over time - Just remember where to find it if the grass gets a bit long!

 

[Rollerball]

Thanks, I'll get to to work on it tomorrow.