Shock Letter from Water Authority

matelodave

What sort of flushing mechanisms have you in your toilets?
I've noticed after several years of having low volume flush valves that they sometimes weep gently into the bowl, not something that the old syphon systems would do.
Over the past 10 years I've had to replace three sets of float valves which have gently let-by and changed seals in two flush valve assemblies because they've leaked into the bowl for a considerable period after they've been flushed thus requiring the tank to keep filling although very slowly.
The old syphon system & conventional ball-!!!! kept going for 25 years without any problems at all.
I'm not a fan of low flush toilets, they hardly dilute the liquid waste let alone the solid stuff

rollon65

Hello Cardew and matelodave,

Thank you for your kind responses.

Cardew: Everybody in my locality has one of the meters and they were installed from October 2012 onwards (job lot purchase from Italy perhaps?).
I have asked for a new meter before today (how long has this post been running?) and they flat refuse until I supply them with a plumbers report.
A plumbers report is likely to cost me around £100 - more if the pumber works for one of those companies who "serve homes" (or are those words transposed?).
I just don't want - on our limited OAP resources, to spend that kind of money just to arrive as the same point as I am at now.
If I were able to demonstrate that my meter has any kind of visible flaw, I would certainly approach them again, although at the time they just said that it was "company policy" to demand a plumbers report.

matelotdave: I do have the siphon and ball valve type cistern, which although it no longer has quiet the instant positive shut-off that it had when it was new, it does shut off completely and has been examined by two water authority agents and is deemed not to be the source of the problem.
I have myself applied absorbent paper to the back of the bowl in an attempt to intercept any water sliding down it, but to no avail. I have two capped 500ml plastic bottles full of water inside so that the volume of water used in the flush is reduced.
Your input and what I have just typed has given rise to a theory that I have not just explored though. What if the absolute water shut-off were quicker - I imagine that less water would be used? Maybe I need to replace the siphon mechanism? It's a job that I hate doing though as the cistern is of ceramic construction and therefore does not exactly have precision contours, which always presents me with a slight leak at first attempt to position the seals - but the concept is certainly worth thinking about.

Best regards - rollon65.

Cardew

rollon65 wrote: »

Your input and what I have just typed has given rise to a theory that I have not just explored though. What if the absolute water shut-off were quicker - I imagine that less water would be used? .

Not following your logic on that one.


It doesn't matter if the shut-off was slow or quick; unless somebody used the toilet in the 7 hours the house was empty.

rollon65

Apologies for the lack of clarity on my behalf Cardew.

What I am suggesting is that if the cistern valve seating is worn and it is requiring lots of oooomph (= lots of water) to close it off 100%, would I be likely to benefit if I replaced it with the pristine item on the basis that less water might be needed?
But then maybe that theory is in conflict with other influences, like just adjusting the ballcock height so as to achieve that positive closure using less water?
I wondered if there was any liklihood that during the flushing process, any of the incoming water that would replenish the cistern, might be going down the toilet on account of the valve not being positively closed at some point during that operation.
Oh well - I thought I might have stumbled upon something there, but on reflection, maybe not . . .
(I should have made it clear that this theory is only related to our overall water consumption and not to any test conducted when there was notionally no water consumption inside the bungalow).

Best regards - rollon65.

rollon65

Hello All,

After a period of stagnation, I have at last heard from the guy who is to do the work on my hot water tank. He says he will be with me tomorrow (20/6/14). Hurrah! Some movement at last!
Additionally, I had a call from my water authority to ask how things sat with me at this time.
I was able to make my case about suspicions I have about the two close instances of digging up water meters, which was good, and to tell them that the drip in the hot water tank was going to be attended to.
Once the work has been done (and there is no longer a drip), they have asked me to take a water meter reading on the Monday and one a week later at the same time.
Then, if a significant reduction in water consumption is indicated, they "might be able to give me some water leakage rebate".

Best regards - rollon65.

rollon65

I have today (9 July 2014) received a letter from my water authority stating that my direct debit is to be increased to £35.00 per month.
Only problem is - it was dated 02 April 2014!!!
I have recently had contact with them inrespect of my current readings across a 7 day period and have informed them of my intention to consult with OFWAT and The Water Council, should I not receive a satisfactory offer of settlement in respect of my situation, but as I have been paying them £35.00 per month for a number of months now, I am unsure as to what degree I have already been paying off my "arrears".

Best regards - rollon65.

rollon65

Hello All,

I am delighted to say that we could at last be coming to the end of this saga!
I have today been advised that I shall be granted a "leakage allowance", based on the difference between the preceeding greater recorded volume of water passage through my meter and that realised over my latest "specimen week".
They have not been able to tell me how much this will be in hard cash terms, but it's "in the hundreds".
In addition to this, the gesture of goodwill payment of £25 had already been credited to my account.
I had indicated that should their conciliation offer not be acceptable to me, I would continue to pursue the issue via Offwat and/or the Consumer Council for Water.
So, it sounds like the situation is close to being resolved - but without any indication as to the source of our original high amount of water consumption/loss.
For anyone who follows in my footsteps; it has been invaluable to have kept copious notes of names, dates and times of telephone conversations, letters received, records of water authority activity in the near vacinity and to be "on the ball" in respect of any mistakes (however insignificant) made by your authority as I sincerely believe that it is necessary both to make your case confidently and in sound possession of the facts. If you falter they are likely to grab the advantage.
"Nulle Bars-tardo Carborundum" (Had to pop in the hyphen to get past the auto-censor! Google it if you're not sure!)

Back when I know for sure how things are going . . .

Best regards - rollon65.

rollon65

Hello all,


This will probably be my last post on this topic as I now know the extent of the refund I have got from my water authority.
The total amount of the refund is approximately £500. It has been a long battle, but worth the fight.
It goes some way to recompense me for all the work done lifting floor coverings, cutting traps, taking and photographing meter readings, running tests, replacing the hot water tank ball valve, writing letters, sending e-mails and making telephone calls since January of this year.
From the outset, when I was “losing” 6 – 7 litres of water over a 4 hour period, that "lost" water has bit by bit inexplicably tailed off.
Between now and the start of my problems, I have recorded several nearby incidences of work being undertaken by the agents of my water authority, subsequent to which the “loss” ultimately reduced, but I have not been made aware of any connection between these works and my own issues.
The reasons for the above normal consumption for the two of us therefore remain unknown to me to this day.
I hope not to have to return with another chapter of this tale, should the now updated forecast for our on-going water consumption not be in some kind of harmony with my new monthly direct debit.
Many thanks to all contributors (particularly Cardew) and readers alike who have shared this somewhat tedious journey along with me.


Best regards – rollon65.

Cardew

Well done for your perseverance.


Err, isn't your electricity consumption a little on the high side?;)

rollon65

Hello once again Cardew,

I think that might amount to pushing my luck! However, I have recently had another "result" in respect of my wife's Income Tax situation, that resulted in the magnificent figure of £1,200 not having to be paid. That one hung around a while too!
See https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4793048
If good luck comes in threes, I think our reduced OAP lifestyle could do with a magic touch from Camelot, rather than EDF!

Your persistent contributions have been very much appreciated at this end - thank you very much once again.

Best regards - rollon65.