SW Water don't care we have free supply!

cathd6

So we discover during building renovations that a random pipe in the house we've owned for 2 years is actually a 2nd rising main. Unmetered, and it taps into a pipe which is shared by our neighbouring preschool and allotment site.

Understandably, we would like this pipe cut off. We have no plans to actually use this water that no-one knows about so it's just a risk to us (and we have a bit of pipe we really don't need sticking out of our floor) - also if we ever needed to turn off the stop-!!!! it would result in the preschool and allotments also being cut off.

To cut the supply off however would entail digging up the side road. So SW Water want nothing to do with it - it's a private pipe and so none of their business. Even though that means we have a second unmetered supply of their finest.

I've half a mind to plumb the washing machine in to it and see how long it takes them to sort out the problem but seriously, out of curiosity, has anyone EVER encountered this before and what would YOU do in our situation??

deanos

You will need to trace it back and disconnect where it branches off to your property (or as near as possible) this is important so you don't leave in a "dead leg" which will contain stagnant water and could contaminate the preschool next door , as its a shared supply it will be down to you, SW will only disconnect the whole supply.

Cardew

If it is a separate unmetered rising main, then surely turning of your stopc0ck will not turn of that supply??

I think your situation is not that uncommon, particularly in large older properties where there were separate supplies to outbuildings. In the past(pre-privatisation and hence no metering) there was little control of owners taking feeds off their own main supply and indeed there could be several pipes from the main supply.

cathd6

Yes, we can turn it off inside the house, it's been off (pretty much seized) since we moved in 3yrs ago. We're still being supplied with the water though, and it means we still have a pipe full of water under our house, which we don't want responsibility for. The outdoor stopcock controls the main supply which also goes to the preschool and allotments - the branch to our house comes off this.
A happy update though - SW water have also come to the point of view that is not ideal that we have a random unmetered additional supply and are coming to dig a hole in the road and close off the pipe. Hoorah

nickcc

With water/sewerage charges not far off £1000 per annum I'm not sure I would be as honest as you.