Water connection help...

[kanester]

Hi guys,

I've been building a bungalow for the last 3 years, I've done everything myself and the build is more or less completed. Now I have a slight problem with the water connection and i'm looking for some advice.

So when we started the foundations I made the connection to the water supply myself (the water supply only feeds 2 more bungalows, so i kindly told them i was turning the water off for 30mins) 30mins later job completed. I took the 25mm blue water pipe through the ground and into the house ready for a water meter.

Now trying to explain this to welsh water is like talking to one of the brick walls, They want me to re dig and put a new pipe in so they can inspect the trench, It's so much work to do now at this stage and they connection I did was perfectly fine, Not only that they want to charge me £1400 to make a connection witch is ridiculous (Gas was £900, Electric £300)

I had trouble with Welsh water when i was going through the sewerage connection stage.

Any advice what I can do? Is making my own connection braking any laws? It's on private land.

Thanks.

 

[JBR]

I understood that any water pipes within your boundary are your own business and they take no responsibility.

I suspect that if you just connect things up as you want, they'll come round asking you to have a water meter soon enough!

Of course, I may be completely wrong; I'm not a plumber!

 

[r896neo]

'I made the connection to the water supply myself'

What do this mean? did you simply T into someone elses 25mm supply? Did you make a connection on the public road?

My water company are generally not happy with shared supplies particularly because of the imminent meters.

I agree it seems steep but are they just supposed to take your word for it that you did it correctly? Did you leave shavings in the pipe ready to block someone elses supply? what if it freezes because you didn't put it deep enough? will you expect them to repair it? I'm not saying you didnt do it right just highlighting some of the reasons why joe public isn't allowed to install their own services.

 

[kanester]

'I made the connection to the water supply myself'

What do this mean? did you simply T into someone elses 25mm supply? Did you make a connection on the public road?

My water company are generally not happy with shared supplies particularly because of the imminent meters.

I agree it seems steep but are they just supposed to take your word for it that you did it correctly? Did you leave shavings in the pipe ready to block someone elses supply? what if it freezes because you didn't put it deep enough? will you expect them to repair it? I'm not saying you didnt do it right just highlighting some of the reasons why joe public isn't allowed to install their own services.

I T'ed into the 25mm pipe that supply's the 2 other bungalows, the pipe runs through my land. I'm hoping I can re dig the connection and fingers crossed they will accept it, It's 5ft deep.

 

[Ian H]

Surely that £1400 is to make a new connection onto the main?

When we did ours I dug s trench to the boundary and they wanted to see that I'd run the 25mm in to the house inside a 100mm pipe and that it was insulated.

The new connection was free because previously we were on a shared Lead feed. That was United Utilities.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If you had seen some of the water connections some folks think its fine to cobble together, you would understand why Water companies want to inspect your connection! Ultimately the difficulty here, if the supply crosses third party land before you tee off, there is always the risk of the third party deciding to cut your supply if you fall out, or if any leaks occur, wrangling about who's paying for what, meanwhile water is being wasted.

Welsh Water have a duty to protect the integrity of the public supply, hence why they are asking for the work to be done in accordance with their standards, and wish to inspect it to ensure that has been done. The cost quoted with include dedicated connection from property boundary to main in the road, and an external meter box/stopvalve at the boundary.