no water because of high usage what are my rights?????

lovelyjubbly

we live in north wales (where there certainly isnt a water shortage!)and have suffered with low water pressure for the last seven days, the presssure is down to at least half by 7.30am when everyone is getting up and starting to use their water., friday and saturday the water was actually off for about 4 hours from 6pm to 10pm, as we are high up on a hill and the end of the pipe, as it were, we have been told that is is just because of a high volume of usage as it is half term and to expect the same through the summer when the children are off school, and the holiday makers are down. they said they cant turn the pressure up as it could cause a burst. My negbours have also had their water pressure reduced to a trickle, but not right off. I have been told there is nothing they can do about it. my question is what are my rights to a constant flow of water 24 hours a day.

Claudie

Most water companies have a list of their corporate policies on their web site. Thames Water's policy concerning low pressure is here:

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/UK/region/en_gb/content/Section_Homepages/Section_Homepage_000459.jsp?SECT=Section_Homepage_000459

I'd suggest keeping a diary of what has happened and then follow along the procedures to the letter but make sure you record dates and times now - I know I would never remember later and it is far easier to put together a proper claim when you have all the detail to hand.

Good luck

lovelyjubbly

thanks claudie
I will do that, I know what you mean about not remembering the exact details afterwards, and it weakens you case if you are not carefull.

jayne26

hubby " water board man" says write in to your water company stating that you have had poor preshire consistantly for over 7 days and claim compo and ask for a copy off poor preshire regester and a copy of a graph of preshire monitoring point to show to water watch

jayne26

also ring each time and ask the company to log the call each time

lovelyjubbly

Hi Jayne, you are just the person I need, can you ask hubby if I have any right to water, as when I phoned the help line they said tough, you will have to live with it, and the water board is not obliged to provide you with constant water as long as you get some. we are in a tourist area so i know water consumption does go up but we didnt have any trouble over the long easter weekend when everyone was on holiday, it just dosnt make sense.
as we are at the end of the line does it mean that we will have to suffer or do we have the same rights as anyone to a constant supply?
hope you can help

lovelyjubbly

jayne, they do log our calls as we have to phone them regularly because we get a lot of burst pipes, due to age I guess, or careless farmers digging up pipes, I have to call them every other month it seems, we even had our water off all christmas day!

jayne26

right hubby says they are talking bo....ks about it being your problem everyone has the right to constant water. and it dousnt mater where you are on the pipe so to speak. you need to contack water watch but they wont get involved unless you have written in to water company and had a reply. you need the letter then contact water watch. keep a dirary and again ask them to log call s , also have you tryed your local councilor as the companys jump through hoops for them . you need to ask water company to intall a preshire logger outside on a hydrant by your house whitch moniters preshire every 15 mins over a week period ., sorry about spelling still !!!!!! from last night , ask for a copy of results

jayne26

you are ment to get 9 liters per minuite and 12 meters head preshire ...///?????? ITS ALL GREEK TO ME

lovelyjubbly

Brilliant jayne, I will go in with both guns..........I love a good fight, all the best, and thanks to hubby.
lovelyjubbly

lapat

jubbly

1.log all your calls to your water company
2.you are entitled to a minimum of 9ltrs per minute and 10 meters head at the boundary of your property.
3.you will find with welsh water that there standards of service are 15 mtrs head
4.request an inspector visit at the times oyu are having the problem
5.request to see the critical monitoring point graph for your area
6.request the inspector installs a logging device on the main in your street and logs it at a minimum of 15 minute intervals for at least 7 days and request to see the graph
7.if your inspector is not cooperative request to speak to his operational manager via telephone or letter
8.write in aswell with your log
9.if you still dont get what you want then contact water voice(originally ofwat)
10.your letter should recieve a reply within 10 days all comapnys have the same standards of service.

the legal bit you are entitled to 10mtrs head of water and 9 ltrs per minute at the boundary of your property if the supply drops below this for 1hr at a time in any 24hr period more than 6 times a year you are entitled to compensation and the utility company are legally obliged to register you on there low pressure register which is reportable to ofwat(water voice) they then have to physically complete work to resole your poor pressure problem i.e install pumps refurbish mains etc

hope this helps pm me for more info(i dont check every day so dont worry if i dont come back to you straight away)