Getting A Main Water Connection

[Wendy10]

Doing one at ther moment, been fleaing off neighbour's supply since year dot, and now getting it straight before it all changes hands, or get hit for share of massive leak ,etc.
Main is in road verge along side our hedge, but have still had to pay Anglian Water about £1150 +vat. for 25mm connection to field supply.

That is what it cost us too

 

[GTB]

You can get connectors that clamp around the pipe
Good little job for Sunday

There's a smallholding near here that have mains water from a similar source. It was put in on a weekend in the 70s and to my knowledge has never been found out. It goes through a neighbour's field and across an unclassified road before entering their own property (allegedly ).

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Oh, don’t worry, if I did that it would be found, no doubt!

 

[Wendy10]

We bought some land away from the farm a few years ago. The person we bought it from had only had it a couple of years and had used it for silage only, so, said there was no mains water. We arranged to have a meter fitted, paid the £1100, the man came out to connect us and said " I was sure there was a connection already here, I remember putting it in", and just turned on a tap in the meter that was hidden in the hedge.

 

[Oat]

We bought some land away from the farm a few years ago. The person we bought it from had only had it a couple of years and had used it for silage only, so, said there was no mains water. We arranged to have a meter fitted, paid the £1100, the man came out to connect us and said " I was sure there was a connection already here, I remember putting it in", and just turned on a tap in the meter that was hidden in the hedge.

I once did something of the reverse. We had a meter fitted to a supply which just fed a seldom used water trough. Before this the supply was from a house which was then subsequently sold (hence putting in a new supply and meter from the main). When the meter and small manhole was fitted on the verge, they sprayed a bit of blue paint on the kerbstone to mark it, as they obviously realised that the grass would soon grow over the top of the small manhole and it would be difficult to find it again.

A few months later someone came to take a reading and all was ok. But before their next reading some mud magically appeared over the paint, and a new bill was never seen again
As a side note, by this point the water trough was no longer in use, so even if the meter checker had made a bit more effort to find the meter, he wouldn't have seen any change in the meter from the previous reading anyway

 

[Nearly]

The meters are wireless now, and can be read from any passing blue van. Need to fit the meter with a tin foil hat.

 

[Manney]

water trough?

Make sure the water co don't see pipework going off to a field network.....
I installed a standpipe with double check valve (requirement) for them to connect to.

This is the advice I was given by South West Water when we put a connection. Chap said just put a standpipe in as close to the main as possible and then pipe off that once they have mad the connection.

I think it cost us around £400 about 4 years ago.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Right, to cut a long story short, getting a mains connection is going to be a right headache so I’m wondering on other options.

Can I pump out of the fast flowing brook up to a header tank? Will I need an abstraction licence to do so?
Solar powered pumps for the same idea?

The IBC is the easiest idea but there are times of the year when I just don’t have time to faff about with it so need something that takes care of itself.

 

[Humding]

Water Ram?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I’ve heard of them. How do they work?

 

[Manney]

Papa pump.

 

[Mounty]

Sounds like the neighbours supply is pretty close and you just need to connect to it with your own meter?
Can you put your own meter in and allow the new owners to charge you for what you use. They can come and confirm the meter reading to satisfy theirselves. Only issues I can see, is if they are on mains drainage they will be paying sewerage charge on everything you use. If they're on a septic tank happy days. https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/wate...MIy52SsLPJ2QIVrbvtCh2dFAj_EAQYASABEgIAHPD_BwE

 

[Cab-over Pete]

We already have our own private meter, it’s been there for years.

Apparently that’s a problem for potential buyers.

 

[David.]

More likely for their solicitors, who will be warning them that "The Farmer might run up an enormous bill and refuse to pay"..

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Probably right.

The thing is there are four small properties along the lane taking their water through private meters from the old farm at the top. I can see their point as to the hassle factor for potential buyers.

 

[pgk]

Most of our water comes off 60 by 30 shed into tanks and gravity feeds shed, polyt and field troughs. Works out quite cheap to set up. Now with mains we top up tanks when they get low n no rain. Hope mains is running tomorrow as gravity fed pipes frozen this evening at minus 5, were ok yesterday at minus 4. Water ram is a cast bell with pump inside primed by water flowing in stream bed. Water is piped from this to a header tank and one I have seen at Wootton W awen feeds header tank which gravity feeds field troughs.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Thanks Peter, I’ll have a look into that.

I may put up a small barn so thought maybe a tank to catch the run off.