Water pipe dispute

[livestock 1]

They are twunts. Years ago we had a leak on a farm supply with a sub meter off it that was theirs so I rang them to ask for help with the leak because of the sub meter. Fair question I thought by they didn’t agree so I said fine then, I’ll just turn the tap off and job done because I don’t need any water for a month or two. They threatened me with legal action because I’m not allowed to turn off the supply to the sub meter.

Turned out the leak was under the main road and we might be liable for the road repair so moled a new pipe under and kept quiet.

They are it’s not the first problem I’ve had with them. They have advised me to put a new line in. They would! Unfortunately they are probably right

 

[Goweresque]

Yes. The water board will allow us to tap into their stop tap and I can dig along our field cross our yard and our road to the meter.

Well you've got 2 options then, spend money on a solicitor to try and make the neighbour return your supply (which is his responsibility, not his contractor), or you can spend the same amount of money (or most likely a LOT less) on putting in 200m of water pipe to get yourself a supply you control entirely yourself.

However if you go down the latter route, when you T into the line that now feeds down to just your neighbour, stick a tap on it so you can turn him off if you feel like it. And don't tell him where it is.

 

[steveR]

The pipe is owned by us or the neighbor not the water board. The water board are claiming ownership to the stop tap but not from the stop tap to the meter where the issue is. I was surprised too

Very different to what Severn Trent told me a couple of years ago, but who knows what is right when dealing with these companies!

How far is it from the stop tap to the meter? Surely, if you tap into the pipe before the meter, that is then an unmetered supply...

 

[Still Farming]

What are on deeds or wayleave with the Garden.
Was it once your field?
The searchs should show your water pipe?

 

[Farmer_Joe]

im sure its there responsible to the meter, in theory if you mess with it before then you could be into live mains and could 'contaminate supply'.

if i were you though i would prob just re main it and cut your neighbour off see how they like it or put a tap in opened they tinyest amount

 

[livestock 1]

Well you've got 2 options then, spend money on a solicitor to try and make the neighbour return your supply (which is his responsibility, not his contractor), or you can spend the same amount of money (or most likely a LOT less) on putting in 200m of water pipe to get yourself a supply you control entirely yourself.

However if you go down the latter route, when you T into the line that now feeds down to just your neighbour, stick a tap on it so you can turn him off if you feel like it. And don't tell him where it is.

Yes I think that it’s more likely going to end up a new pipe in which isn’t really a big job. It’s just the principle of the matter!

 

[livestock 1]

Very different to what Severn Trent told me a couple of years ago, but who knows what is right when dealing with these companies!

How far is it from the stop tap to the meter? Surely, if you tap into the pipe before the meter, that is then an unmetered supply...

The stop tap is 200m from the meter. They want me to renew the pipe from stop tap to meter which they say is my responsibility to do so.

 

[livestock 1]

What are on deeds or wayleave with the Garden.
Was it once your field?
The searchs should show your water pipe?

The searches don’t show the pipe I’ve looked with the water board on their computer. The garden has never been in our ownership.

 

[livestock 1]

im sure its there responsible to the meter, in theory if you mess with it before then you could be into live mains and could 'contaminate supply'.

if i were you though i would prob just re main it and cut your neighbour off see how they like it or put a tap in opened they tinyest amount

I was surprised to hear that the pipe (wherever it is) is ours. Like you I always thought that they provided service to the meter. Their meter. You live and learn

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Simple then just renew the pipe on your own land to the meter, then sorted,




Oh and remember you can T in to your own pipes where ever you want, but heaven forbid, don't T into their pipe as that would be stealing

 

[Still Farming]

The searches don’t show the pipe I’ve looked with the water board on their computer. The garden has never been in our ownership.

Why crossing it then ?

 

[livestock 1]

Why crossing it then ?

Obviously something agreed back in the day. The garden lies between the stop tap and meter so the most direct route. If it was hand dug then it would make sense or possibly tee’d off the supply to the house

 

[Cowcalf]

Simple then just renew the pipe on your own land to the meter, then sorted,




Oh and remember you can T in to your own pipes where ever you want, but heaven forbid, don't T into their pipe as that would be stealing

But the water would taste good as it would be free

 

[livestock 1]

The first thought I had was if I perused this neighbour to reinstate my supply I would then possibly end up having trouble at a later date if there was a burst on a shared pipe in their garden. Especially now we know they aren’t very cooperative people

 

[Jakem]

Well you've got 2 options then, spend money on a solicitor to try and make the neighbour return your supply (which is his responsibility, not his contractor), or you can spend the same amount of money (or most likely a LOT less) on putting in 200m of water pipe to get yourself a supply you control entirely yourself.

However if you go down the latter route, when you T into the line that now feeds down to just your neighbour, stick a tap on it so you can turn him off if you feel like it. And don't tell him where it is.

That’s more like it!
That’s what I would be doing and for the helpfulness of the water board that would push me toward tunnelling behind the meters and teeing the lot with small hidden stopcock just before to compensate me for there awkwardness!!

Would be a job in itself though getting round and turning them all off and on again before meter reader appears!!

In all seriousness I do a lot of water work and moling jobs and these contractors could have very easily switched of the main stop cock they connecting to and checked to see if any near by property’s were affected, I’d almost feel obliged to go back and rectify if I had switched someone off, even if it meant a temp supply just to get them on, I can imagine they don’t get many recommendations with behaviour like that.

 

[livestock 1]

That’s more like it!
That’s what I would be doing and for the helpfulness of the water board that would push me toward tunnelling behind the meters and teeing the lot with small hidden stopcock just before to compensate me for there awkwardness!!

Would be a job in itself though getting round and turning them all off and on again before meter reader appears!!

In all seriousness I do a lot of water work and moling jobs and these contractors could have very easily switched of the main stop cock they connecting to and checked to see if any near by property’s were affected, I’d almost feel obliged to go back and rectify if I had switched someone off, even if it meant a temp supply just to get them on, I can imagine they don’t get many recommendations with behaviour like that.

The one that came out was apparently one of the bosses. I told him exactly what you said. I said ‘ it’s not much of an advert for your company having an attitude like that ‘ he didn’t seem to care

 

[Jakem]

Your think the water board would be liable to run you a new supply from main to boundary line to comply with the water industry act if leak was no thought of your own?
I’d keep on at them and threaten to take to social media if they are being non cooperative, from working in the industry i know this is one of there big worries.
Edited to add section 45 of the water industry act might be worth quoting them, I’d imagine they have an answer for it but worth a try.

 

[DRC]

The stop tap is 200m from the meter. They want me to renew the pipe from stop tap to meter which they say is my responsibility to do so.

They are responsible to the meter, you afterwards

 

[Kevm]

So if you put in a new pipe are you connecting to your stop tap or are you teeing off the neighbours stop tap.
If water board wont put in a new supply you should at least insist on a separate stop tap/supply

 

[DRC]

Your think the water board would be liable to run you a new supply from main to boundary line to comply with the water industry act if leak was no thought of your own?
I’d keep on at them and threaten to take to social media if they are being non cooperative, from working in the industry i know this is one of there big worries.

In the 1970s, our farm landlords built new cattle sheds on a greenfield site, and just tapped into the line supplying a farm cottage nearby, which is owned by them, but on our tenancy. Is this still legal ( if it ever was).