Shared water pipe leaking

silvercar

4 terraced houses share a water supply pipe. The pipe runs from the street around the side of one end house and through the back gardens of the others, serving all 4 properties by spurs to the rear of the properties.

Our deeds state we are responsible for any repairs needed to the pipe that are on our property.

The water board consider that the costs should be shared by all properties "up-pipe" of the leak.

We get notice that there is a leak in the pipe, the water board can't say where along the pipe.

None of the owners know where and don't wish to incur costs on something that isn't their responsibility. The water board send their people out (saying we will be billed for the cost!) and decide that the pipe actually runs through the front driveway of the property next to the end terrace one in our block.

None of our group of 4 have responsibility (according to our deeds) or authority to dig up this person's property. The water board obtain permission of the owner and are going to send more experts in to investigate.

Seeking any info on what the water board can impose on us cost wise, given our deeds don't give us this liability.

I had a similar problem 6 years ago, the end story of which is the problem went away! https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/5281871#Comment_5281871

silvercar

No responses, but over 300 reads. So I'll plough on in the hope that someone may respond.

The leak is now repaired and we have been billed.

It turns out there were 2 leaks, the first leak was on the shared pipe before it splits to individual properties, the second was on the end property (ie past the spur to my property).

All 4 properties have been billed an equal share. Is this right? I would have thought that only those properties being served from the point of the leak would be billed for the leak that was at the end.

phsci

silvercar wrote: »

I would have thought that only those properties being served from the point of the leak would be billed for the leak that was at the end.

You are correct; with a common supply pipe there is a joint responsibility for all properties supplied by that section of the pipe. From your description, the last house alone is served by that section of pipe beyond the second leak and so the costs for that part of the work falls solely on them. Challenge the bill!

silvercar

phsci wrote: »

You are correct; with a common supply pipe there is a joint responsibility for all properties supplied by that section of the pipe. From your description, the last house alone is served by that section of pipe beyond the second leak and so the costs for that part of the work falls solely on them. Challenge the bill!

Thanks for that.

I phoned them today and they said that the work was carried out as one job, so the fact that there was a second excavation is irrelevant. The pipe had lots of leaks and it was fixed under one invoice so we are all equally liable.