Water leak issue - being done over by South water company

Nassy

Hi

After some local roadworks (Thames valley area), our driveway became damaged and our pipe burst causing a leak. We reported it to our local water board who duly came over and tried to "fix" it.

They ended up doing a terrible bodge job and in the end the leak wasn't fixed...:(

Unfortunately for us we didn't complain immediately. Someone presumedly reported it a few days ago without us knowing. Anyway without mailing me or leaving any message at all, the water board came round today and dug up my driveway without my consent. They have left temporary black tarmac in its place and are coming around later to do more digging up and probably another botch up job.

Except they refused to fix the leak despite locating it??? The reason they dug up my driveway again apparentely was so that they can "prove" to me they aren't liable for what they say is a second leak... They say I will be ordered to fix it at a cost of around £200 min. I am pretty cross.

It is obvious to me that the water company was not going to accept liability so I think its bad that they have come without my consent and dug up my driveway again. They also have gone to a lot of effort and presumedely taxpayers expense to do all this digging and resurfacing so surely they could've just fixed the leak. It comes across that they don't actually want to fix leaks but just want to charge as much money as possible even if it means more water gets wasted in the meantime!!! :mad: They have also left some horrible black tarmac again on my road which looks awful..

I personally feel this is a bit scandalous. It is as if they just want to charge people and provide no service at all. Even if I was going to be charged (which I can sort of accept given I did not complain immediately) they should surely not just turn up without notice, turfing up my driveway and then telling me that I am left on my own to fix the problem?!! Is there anything I can do or should I just pay up and accept it.

sar050680

I think you should call their customer services and make a complaint. I work on the water and in my area Welsh Water will renew up to 15 metres of private pipe work free of charge. As far as your driveway they should put it back as it was, another reason to call them straight away. Hth.

Nassy

Thanks. Welsh Water board clearly behave very different to my local board. I am pretty certain my water company caused the second leak when they tried to "repair" the first.

They have also caused some damage to my driveway as slabs are out of place and I have a temporary slab of black tarmac left so presumedely they are coming back at some point again to dig more holes to replace the tarmac. Of course, true to form, I haven't been informed when this is going to be. No respect at all has been shown to me or my property. They are happy to spend their time and resources digging hole after hole in the ground (without my consent) to lay blame but not to actually fix anything.

Eitherway I will now write a letter of complaint and show a picture also of the driveway damage and how bad it now looks. The way they turned up without notifying me, when I wasn't even in (that is what really annoys me most!) and dug up my driveway purely so they could lay blame on me is appaling imho. They haven't left any documentation on the work carried out or left me with any advice or even a number to call on fixing the leak. My view is that this absolutely is not the way any "professional body" behaves.

Everyone I spoke to says that they would definitely not just pay up in these circumstances so I will make a complaint and escalate to the consumer council and local MP if necessary.

sar050680

Hope the complaint works out for you, I think you should keep on to them, ask to speak to a manager and like you said take pictures to show them if required.

Good luck.

Mindless_Clone

That's bad.

I had a leak on my mains supply pipe a few years ago that was only detected by a random check down my street. They gave me notice to have the repair fixed at my expense (this was Veolia Central) or, if I didn't do so they had a legal right to carry out the repair themselves and charge me for it. there was an Act quoted on the letter but I don't have it so can't tell you what it is.
I have been told most companies will offer free or subsidised repairs but apparently Veolia Central don't as they never did to me, just left me a list of companies that they recommended to do the repair, all of whom wanted over £1000 for the job.

w**.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/rightsresponsibilities/leakage

Besides the point though; they may have a legal right to make the repair if you don't but surely they should at least have notified you of their intent to dig up your property? Unless they had contacted you and you ignored it or missed it somehow? I think that's probably the bit you could hang them on if they don't play ball. You'll have to fight it out with them to prove they caused the leak by not repairing the first one properly.

For what it's worth, my dad and husband fixed our leak; £100 total cost, including new pipe, concrete to fill in the hole and hire of equipment to dig it up in the first place.