Where to look for the stopcock in the road...

[ferdinand2000]

I'm at a bit of a loss what to do next.

We have a shop in the middle of a terrace of about 8 shops, built around 1900, and a leak coming from a rising main lead pipe where the outside wc used to be in the back garden. The old story - thought it was disconnected having had the wc out decades ago; it wasn't and we now have a lovely mains leak. The water supply is common. The pipe does not run into the back of the shop.

Made more interesting as a) The first four backgardens (including ours) had a workshop built on them in about 1970 so much is under there and b) the shops include a Chinese, a sandwich shop and a hairdresser so we have a window of about 2pm to 4pm for work,

Our plumber has made a temporary kludge by hammering the end of the lead pipe flat. We have about 18" of lead pipe above ground to play with.

We called out the Water Co inspector for advice, and that was to turn off the indicated stop cock in the pavement when most shops were shut and cap off the pipe.

Fair enough. It turned out not to be that stop cock. We have since tried all 4 at each corner of the block of shops, searched carefully for more, and nothing has closed it off.

Who do we ask next - is there an Severn-Trent archive department who can tell us where to look?

Or is it a case of put a tap on it to avoid a deadend, insulate and box in and leave it be?

Any comments will be gratefully received.

Ferdinand

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It sounds like you have already had a good look around for a plastic or metal cover marked “Water” or “W” and also asked the neighbours.
You need to go back to your water undertakers again and ask them where it is?

 

[ferdinand2000]

It sounds like you have already had a good look around for a plastic or metal cover marked “Water” or “W” and also asked the neighbours.
You need to go back to your water undertakers again and ask them where it is?

Thanks.

The plan is now:

a - Give the Water Company another couple of chances.
then
b - Put a tap on it, insulate, and build a box around it for somebody else to look for in 25 years.

Ferdinand

 

[foxhole]

Any new tarmac areas, we lost an isolation valve after cowboys tarmaced over it

 

[misterhelpful]

I remember a similar situation when I was a kid. Living in a row of terraced houses, we had a leak in the kitchen and no individual stopcock for the house. My father sent me to turn off the main down the street but it was gone. It seems the water company had renewed the main to some shops and installed individual stopcocks to each of them but had removed the one that served the row of houses. It meant the nearest stopcock was around the corner on the main road about 150 yards away and, like your situation, all the shops had to be turned off for the repair to be carried out. When the water board realised this they installed a new stopcock where the old one was between the shops and houses.
Maybe the same sort of thing has happened in your area and the water company will have to sort something out.

 

[joinerjohn]

I'd put a stop tap on it then reroute some of your own water to use this tap (specially if your on a metered supply. You could at least perhaps run the washing machine, or a toilet off it and save some money off your water bill.