Trenching between properties

[Hugh Jaleak]

If you see some of the Heath Robinson affairs some folks rig up to supply their premises then you'd know why they need to be inspected. I think it's partly to make sure the water supply byelaws are being complied with and partly to protect the integrity/safety of the supply. It also helps monitor new connections and prevents theft of water, when someone taps into an existing supply from a neighbouring property and doesn't register for water charges.

 

[noseall]

Ok guys, whilst I've always been on board regards the stringency of depth v's frost, do the water companies have any legal remit in terms of dictating what happens on the domestic side of the supply - i.e. once off the pavement and onto the owners' property?

 

[Ian H]

I think if they are putting a totally new connection in the footpath they want to see the trench and point of entry.

We were the last of a shared supply and asked for a new connection at our boundary. We had to show them the trench and an insulated 100/110mm duct into the house. We had to leave a meter of 25mm at the boundary for them to connect into.

They (United Utilites) made the new connection and filled the pipe with gravel

Their work was free because we didn't previously have our own stop tap.

 

[Ian H]

If you were replacing your existing steel/lead/black alkathene supply, then they wouldn't care and you could run it in at 300mm. I bet that would never freeze at 300 deep.

 

[noseall]

. I bet that would never freeze at 300 deep.

Mine doesn't.

 

[noseall]

However, we do have to run the cold tap for a while when it's baking hot.

 

[Blagard]

We had to show them the trench and an insulated 100/110mm duct into the house.

That insulation part is usually only necessary if your incoming supply is adjacent to an external wall. If the supply comes in and rises on a wall around 750mm away from the external wall then you would not need to insulate it. (Unless some the regs have changed and I have not seen those for some time!). I like the idea of a free connection though! - I wonder if Seven Trent have changed from charging - my supply is shared by 3 houses!

Edit: Just checked and STWA offer free connection to lead supply replacements on shared supplies

 

[Ian H]

That sounds right. Ours is just inside the wall and the old shared supply was lead.

At work we fit an insulated box on the outside and drill through the wall. I wouldn't want one of those on my wall though.

 

[noseall]

If that supply is 750mm down I'll eat my hat.

 

[Ian H]

That's not, the 25mm before the bend is about 400mm, my repair (to bypass a leak) was to re route it into the house. I did from the bend to a new stoptap in the kitchen.

I've repaired pipes that are even shallower than that. I'd say not many are more than 600mm.