Water supply dispute

SameOldRoundabout

A shared supply does not necessarily mean it has one meter so running the neighbours taps will not resolve it. The supply could branch on the owned land (the water companies responsibility ends at the boundary, although some will be flexible) or it could even be a sub meter. To separate this out would involve a replacement connection quite possibly from a new location along the main supply. It’s a big job. It’s worth querying how they know where the supply comes in, but technically they are only obliged to replace up to the boundary where the supply enters private land. 

naedanger

Sorry can't really help other that suggest you submit a formal complaint.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/water/water-supply/complaints-about-your-water-supply/complaining-about-your-water-company/
But boiling water will not remove the lead. 

Jumblebumble

Jeepers_Creepers said:

For option C, the church would presumably have to arrange to have their pipework swapped for non-lead first? Good luck.

The WB sounds like complete pedants, but are surely on shaky ground here since they cannot even determine where the actual pipework runs and whose it is!

I think time to up the ante. Tell them - in RecDel writing or email to the top person - that you are a family with young kids, obviously concerned about their health. Towards that you are happy to arrange to have a new MDPE pipe run to the boundary of your property to their required specs, and you expect them to fulfil their side of this arrangement - renew in non-lead from the mains to your boundary. Add that THEY have failed to provide information as to the location of the current supply, and are therefore passing all responsibility to you to determine the existing route of the mains, and who is connected to it. This is NOT your responsibility to find out, and you expect them to come back with an acceptable solution with 2 weeks (dated...). Failing that, you will report them to OfWat and make a complaint to your local MP.

And then - if they don't reply positively - do so.

I've no idea if the threat of Ofwat or your MP will have success, but, if it doesn't, then keep pestering BOTH

on at least a weekly basis. They will tire - especially the MP - and I suspect very strongly they will pass the buck to the WB to get you off their backs.

It's pathetic, but it often needs action like this to cut through the carp.

People can end up with really strange situations with water boards and based on the experience that someone I know encountered they are not obligated at all to replace as far as your boundary
Backstory
House on shingle beach 
Supply pipe runs under railway line and stop tap is 60 meters outside  the boundary
Water flow gets really bad and pipe needs replacing.
Water board do not want to know as they claim they are historically only responsible up to stop tap , Moleing impossible owing to shingle , digging impossible because of railway line
Private contractor quotes 10K to do job be routing in from far side of house
Don't know how it ended as occupier moved out

Jeepers_Creepers

The ultimate exception that proves the rule :-)  

theoretica

Have you had a lead test on the water from the tap?  Knowing how concerned you should actually be about the water seems good information to have.

greyteam1959

theoretica said:

Have you had a lead test on the water from the tap?  Knowing how concerned you should actually be about the water seems good information to have.

Excellent advice.
Should really have been the first thing the OP should have done.
Instead of getting into a big panic.
Most lead pipes will have a 100 year old coating on the inside of the pipe.
Like as not the water sample will have less lead in it than my pencil.
Post up the results of the water sample when you have had it done please.