Shared Pipes and low water flow

Jupiter1

Sugardonut wrote: »

Jupiter, i know it's an upsetting situation, more so because of the fact it will cost money to fix. However, your water company is quite right in what they are advising you. Any company in the UK will advise the same thing - its the law, set by the UK governement.

As galling as it is for you, i'd advise you not to waste your time trying to get them to change their mind - it's a lost cause. You will only waste time and energy and get yourself worked up for longer.

Is there nothing you can do to spread the cost - are there any grants you can get?

No not really. Do you know which law is actually stating this? Nobody seems to be able to tell me. I honestly think it is morally wrong and I am willing to put this energy in, so this will be changed in the future. I am really fed up with companies like that who charge a lot of money and we here in the South West pay more than anybody else. If we as a customer constantly give in and take it like it is, these companies run all over you. The only thing I can do is fight as much as I can and make people aware of this kind of situation. The call centre of South West Water does not even give this information, they tell you that they are responsible, which is not the truth and you cannot tell me that this is legal and okay? How many people are believing they are fine even got told that supply pipes outside their property is not their responsibility to only find out when a pipe outside of there property bursts that they have to pay.

deanos

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/mediacentre/informationnotes/prs_inf_pressure

have a read

Jupiter1

Deanos you are a superstar so we do not have a shared water supply. One friend of mine worked years ago at a water board an he reckons that it is called a communication pipe. We reckon that we have one pipe which goes straight up like on the link you sent me so this would not be a shared supply pipe, so I sorted my pipes out and they have to sort this pipe out which goes straight up?

deanos

The pipe that goes up with the X marked on them is the water main

Jupiter1

Thank you Deanos. South West Water will turn up tomorrow and will talk to me about this issue again. By the look of it there is not really a law who backs them up, nobody knows this law, it looks to me that there is a gap in the law which has been filled by their own rules or let us say all the water companies in Britain agreed to fill this law by doing the same thing in saying the customer has to deal with it. This is an assumption I have as nobody not even South West Water can tell me which law actually states that I have to deal with pipes on a property what does not belong to me.

In my opinion it is absolutely mad and nonsense and really is going against the citizens of Britain to tell people on a so called shared supply pipe to sort it out by themselves. Do you think, that when 10 people are on this pipe that you will come to some agreement? I do not think so! Or would you pay for the maintenance of this supply pipe, if you do not experience any problems but all your other neighbours are? So somebody has to have the lead in it and it either has to be the Water Company or the Government, it cannot be that I have to sue my neighbour to get access to the pipes which are not even on my property. England seems to be the only country in the EU who has this kind of nonsense law.

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy

peterbaker wrote: »

On what qualified (same as your qualified basis) basis do two posters spot this thread on a consumerist website and then dare ( dare ? It is a forum and people are able to post their views, the fact that 2 or more now agree should say something about how qualified the replies are) to post one liners asserting that a completely disgraceful situation is perfectly legal :mad: ?? But it is legal, just cos you and others think it is disgraceful does not make it illegal.

This website exists to challenge such views not to propound them. it exists to help the consumer and giving advice based on fact is helping them. Giving a reply based on wishes is great but it will not sort the problem out in the long run

Go back to your water company hidey holes This old chestnut, can't anyone come up with something new, just because it is not illegal and just because the water company can do this does not mean anyone here supports what they do..We are just pointing it out


7e's that's more like it ... I am sure there is still an accepted industry minimum flow rate at your tap as 7e's describes even though there may not be a minimum pressure (1 bar is the least you should get ) - but to get one you often need the other tweaked as he says :money:

Unlike 7e's, I have no direct ideas on how you tame the water company Jupiter1, but I have little doubt that if the government was not running so scared of other stuff at the moment and if some effective lobbyists heads could be turned for a short while to bringing the water companies to heel (it is the governments fault that the water companies are the way they are now..no good looking to them to fix it) then some pretty basic legal challenges could be successfully prosecuted in cases like yours.

I recently have spent a completely necessary £600 to deal with the reduced pressure that Thames Water have progressively applied to the network covering our road over the last couple of years.

It is an abysmal disgrace that water companies have a monopoly and that left alone relatively unchallenged as they effectively are, as a group they do not compete on such matters - they act as a cartel, reduce the service and tell each other and any complainer that it is al perfectly legal. (blame the government for that..They were the ones that did it )

I don't know if you are indeed an OAP but if you were and especially if you were over 75 I would be hammering the Adult Care Unit of my local council to get something done about it and I would be claiming non-means tested Attendance Allowance as a backstop to pay for any work which I still ended up having to pay myself.

There's more than one way of making this flippin' country work sometimes.

Although I think there was no need to put your post as you did I can see your point. However if OFWAT, CCS and the government have in the past allowed shared supplies then there is little they are going to do to fix the issue now.
There is no legal right to running water ( some properties have their own supplies, bore holes etc) same as there isn't for Gas /Electric. Yelling and screaming will not get it sorted out.

I would write a calm letter to their OPS (operations dept) as a DG7 (complaint) and ask all the questions you have, they then have to reply to you within 10 working days.
Do that first so that you have something in writing to refer to later..Then come back once you have the answers and we might be able to help more.

Questions I can think of so far :

What should my water pressure be ?
What is the legal pressure for my property ?
Is my property on a shared supply ?
Can I have a meter ? that might answer some other questions.
How can I get more pressure ?


I will add more if I can think of any but make sure you right and get a proof of postage.

GF

Jupiter1

Hi Gothicfary,

Thank you for your reply. I do not have to have any water pressure at home, they would not even test it, as they refer to the water pressure at their main pipe. There is no legal pressure for my property either (this is what I got as an answer from the water inspector), if I only have a dripping water tap, that is my problem. I have a meter and their call centre told me that they are responsible for ALL the pipes which run before the meter, I would only be responsible for the pipes after the meter. The water inspector states the total opposite. The insurance company which works with South West Water tells me that I cannot made reliable and they would certainly not insure pipes outside of my property. So everybody states something else. Still nobody seems to be able to provide me with the so called law which states that I have to be made reliable for pipes outside of my property.

Gothicfairy

Jupiter,
I understand what you are saying and that they are telling you this over the phone but if you can get the responses in writing it would make things easier as there is a legal requirement from OFWAT

"The DG2 measure is ten metres head of pressure, at the external stop tap, at a flow of nine litres per minute. This should be sufficient to fill a one-gallon (4.5 litre) container in 30 seconds. This level of pressure does not override the duty to supply water constantly at a pressure to reach the upper floors of properties"

You then do this :

"What should you do if your water supply has poor pressure or an inadequate flow.?
The first step is to check that there is not a problem with your plumbing, such as a partially closed internal stop tap (if fitted) or a water leak. If the problem cannot be resolved you should contact your water company who can take pressure and flow measurements and determine whether the problem lies with them or your pipes or the water companies' pipes"



This is the bit you want in writing because if they break the DG you have a case for OFWAT to look into

Gothicfairy

Oh and if you are talking about Homeserve as the insurance company, they don't really work with the water companies and I would not take anything they say as law I am afraid.
Just do a search on MSE for Homeserve and you can find many posts about them

Jupiter1

Hi Gothicfairy,

I understand what you are saying. Tomorrow my neighbours and me speak to South West Water and I require a written confirmation. I speak tomorrow to the Team Manager for this area.

With the insurance company there can be things done too, of course not that they are right in regards to the supply pipes but I can definitely complain about the way I get the impression that I am insured with ALL my supply pipes and believe you me also South West Water is in this boat as they obviously give them our address without asking me as a client.

Something has to change and it is not okay what these Water Companies are doing, I do not know if you work for one but I am not giving up on this matter.

I will let you know tomorrow the outcome of my conversation with them.

Jupiter1