Shared Pipes and low water flow

Jupiter1

As promised I come back to you all after I had a meeting with South West Water on Friday. Officially they still state that we are responsible for our neighbours pipes. They got a bit nervous I am on a meter and of course when a so called supply pipe bursts and I cannot afford to pay for the repair, they do not get any money from me as I am not using any water. Officially they told me they can get me a plumber who would cut me off the shared supply pipe and would lay another pipe only for my property but this plumber would charge £600 a day (yes you read right six zero zero, six hundred), this makes my eyes water, I tell you. On an unofficial statement my water company probably would pay for the burst supply pipe to be replaced. I also notices since a few days a higher water pressure so I think they done something to keep me calm. Anyway a complaint has been made by myself over the Consumer Council for Water and this complaint has been filed in writing towards my water company they have to reply within 10 days.

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy

Jupiter
You need to complain to your water company first..CCW will only pass it back to them until you have gone through their process.
I really and honestly don't think they have done anything to your pressure to keep you calm as they really don't care about you being calm or not. Share supplies are what they are and it does not effect their profit in anyway shape or form.
It doesn't make any difference to them if you don't pay or not. The profit is already agreed and set and nothing you can threaten will make any difference to that and no field worker will care about that either as they get paid either way.

They might well pay for a burst but if you want your own supply you are going to have to pay for it.

Oh and it is 10 working days from recipt of the letter.

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stick with it jupiter ... you might be able too cut your costs a bit by digging the trench for your direct water supply yourself maybe ; ask the water board how deep they would like the pipe laid ; a builder might also be able too do the work for you .. and lay the pipe cheaper than a plumber ; though you will need the plumber for actual connection purposes too your property; ask them for a specification agenda or list of working specifications for new clean water connections whilst comming off of csp; this will help you get some quote; once the work is done then you will need an appointment with the water board too inspect this work BEFORE the builder back fills and covers the pipe with dirt ; then a date as too when your connection goes live at the actual water main ;which will in most cases have too be done by the water board

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy wrote: »

Jupiter
You need to complain to your water company first..CCW will only pass it back to them until you have gone through their process.
I really and honestly don't think they have done anything to your pressure to keep you calm as they really don't care about you being calm or not. Share supplies are what they are and it does not effect their profit in anyway shape or form.
It doesn't make any difference to them if you don't pay or not. The profit is already agreed and set and nothing you can threaten will make any difference to that and no field worker will care about that either as they get paid either way.

They might well pay for a burst but if you want your own supply you are going to have to pay for it.

Oh and it is 10 working days from recipt of the letter.

Well first of all I wait what comes out of my complaint I have filed with CCW before I write another letter.

I am on a meter, Gothicfairy, so if I do not get any water, when a supply pipe is bursting I do not get charged as simple as that. Of course a water company is always interested in getting money, so as I stated on an unofficial statement I received from this water company the information that I probably get a repair free of charge, I know it is an unofficial statement but I found this very interesting.

On the other hand this stupid supply pipe rule has to change. To get it changed I have to get my MP and the press involved what I will do as soon as I have received everything in writing what I need. I know this will take a long time but I am willing to put this energy into to see what comes out of it.

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy

Jupiter

You seem not to be taking anything in ( sorry , not trying to be rude but you have been told more then once) the CCW can not deal with your complaint until you have gone through the whole process with your water company..fact
They will only refer it back to the water company and ask that the water company deal with you inline with their complaints policy..again, fact.
Like it or not that is how it works and your complaint is no different.

Fact : The water company does not care about your bill, their profit is already agreed and set and your small domestic amount makes NO difference.
Fact: unofficial statement means nothing
Fact: The joint supply issue is one that was agreed by the government, ofwat, water companies etc so your MP will have no luck in changing it, the whole rule about private water companies or lack of choice needs changing first.

Put all the energy you like in this and I wish you well but as my old Da use to say "pick your battles" and this is not one that can be won until the water industry had totally changed.

All power to your elbow but in the end it will still come down to you having to sort the issue out yourself.

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy, I have not stated that an unofficial statement is helping me, I only stated it was interesting. Fact is I am living in the middle of a hill surrounded by neighbours and have the problem that I cannot sort out supply pipes which are not on my land, that is fact, I have not the money to sue my neighbours to allow me digging in their gardens, that is fact too. I wrote I am waiting for a reply from South West Water on my complaint I filed via CCW, I already received a confirmation about this claim and I am waiting now for a reply. Ofwat told me to go this way before I do anything else, so I have done what I have been told.

To change the rules, somehow somebody must start doing something, if we all keep our mouth shut then how can things change?

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy

As I said Jupiter ...good luck to you

There are far more important things wrong with the water industry then the rules over joint supply ( seeing as there are not that many of them)and those big things need changing before the little things will be looked at but all the best.

Jupiter1

Thanks Gothicfairy.

I hope you never have the "luck" to sue your neighbours about supply pipes and problems with it as it really is important to me and really needs to change to hear that this is not important than other things makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and I am probably wrong here in this forum.

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy

The problem is Jupiter, what is important to you is not the same for everyone else.

I hope you never have the "luck" to lose your father, job and house (oh and add mother in law, 2 dogs and have a hubby off work with depression and need medication etc) all in one year but that is my life..So maybe I do tend to see the bigger picture.
This is an open forum so you get all kinds of people and all kinds of views, that does not make it wrong..I am sorry you feel uncomfortable but I honestly don't see your problem as the biggest in the water industry.
It might be your biggest problem but that does not mean you need to leave a whole forum just because someone does not agree with you.

Jupiter1

Gothicfairy, I lost my stepdad and nearly my mum 4 years ago. My mum has terminal breast cancer, she lives in Germany and I try to see her as much and often I can. The sad thing is, that I even have to save up for her funeral as by law you have to have a grave in Germany it will cost me thousands. On top of it I have 3 younger siblings I tried to help as much as I can too as I am the older sister. So please do not tell me I cannot see the bigger picture. In Cornwall you have thousands of people who have exactly the same problem as I have, thousands unaware OAP people. I cannot splash out thousands of pounds and suing my neighbours to get excess to my so called supply pipes.

I am on this forum to first of all find a solution and see if somebody else has this problem too and secondly to make people aware of it.

Jupiter1