Extension over water mains!?

sulphate

We completed on our first home in July. Today we had a guy from Anglian Water come over with the intention of installing a meter. He said that it looked like the extension on the house (built by previous owners last year) looked like it had been built over the water mains pipe.

Is this even possible to do without going through the relevant channels? They did not need planning permission as the extension was within permitted development rights, but they did have the right building regs.

Our solicitor mentioned that the water mains were at the back of our house in the garden, and said we'd need to be careful if we were extending in the future, but in no way shape or form did he say that the extension was over it (and he was aware of the extension).

Am a bit worried now as apparently it can impact on insurance etc and the water company should have been told :S

Captain_Flack.

Does the water company know where they are?

sulphate

The guy just said it "looked like" the pipe had been built over but I would have thought they wouldn't have got building reg approval if this was the case.

Captain_Flack.

Get onto the water company and not their contractor. See if there was a build over application.

sulphate

Thanks, I'll call them in the morning.

What does this mean for us if there wasn't an application made?
Would this not have been picked up on in the process of buying the house?

Captain_Flack.

That's a question for your solicitor, but my guess if they only looked at planning and regs.

As long as they haven't built over the stopcock you'll be fine.

mart.vader

Au Contraire ! If they have built over the stopcock, they can just fit another one further back if necessary.

Not sure if you're saying the Water Main (i.e. a pipe 3" or 4" in diameter) runs through your garden, and this is what's been built over. This is possible, Water Cos try to avoid running mains through other people's property for this very reason. It should have been diverted, but this will cost thousands.

Or are you saying that the service pipe ( probably 20mm or so in diameter) runs under the extension - If so, this is quite normal and standard and nothing to worry about.

Edit: Or again, if it's been built over a common supply pipe that also feeds your neighbours, that would be a problem, but not as serious as over a Water Main.

Rockingit

My understanding is that the responsibility for liaising with the water authority on matters like this is devolved to Building Control - therefore if the build was done with BCO involved then there should be a note on their file about it.

sulphate

Confusion over. Just looked at our drainage search and there aren't any water mains within the boundaries of the property. On the map, they run down the side of the road not through peoples' properties. What the guy meant was that there was a sewage pipe which has been built over. Just a slight difference...

According to the drainage search "there is not a statutory agreement or consent of in respect of building over a public sewer at this property" but "consent without an agreement may have been issued by Anglian Water or independently by the Building Control Body. As long as the extension has a valid building regulations certificate then this should prove adequate assurance to the purchaser".

I feel like an idiot now. And no, the stopcock is in our bathroom.

Avoriaz

sulphate wrote: »

.the stopcock is in our bathroom.

In an upstairs bathroom?

If yes, then I hope you have access to another stopcock rather nearer where the mains pipe enters the house.

If the water pipe on the supply side of that stopcock bursts or a joint fails, then you have no means of turning off the water. That could result in a very nasty flood.

sulphate

No, the bathroom is downstairs (right where the mains pipe enters the house), should have clarified!