Water Disconnection in Shed. Who is Responsible?

barnstar2077

Many years ago, before I bought the property, a brick built shed in my garden had a toilet and kitchen sink installed.  At the time a separate water meter was also installed inside the toilets cubicle.

I turned the water mains off when I purchased the place and ignored the sink and loo.  I really would like to reclaim those areas now though, and as the water company keep asking me to fit a new meter out there, I think the best option is just to remove it all and restore the shed to it's original purpose.  I could really use the space to reorganise the shed!

The guy who installed the new meter in my house last year said that removing water to the shed wasn't as easy as turning it off in the street and it would require a builder and thousands of pounds being spent.  He also said that houses couldn't be turned off individually and that if they turned my house off, for any reason, that it would also affect several of my neighbours.  Which sounded odd, and is why I want to look into things more myself.

Can anyone tell me if this seems right, and how I might go about determining what actually needs to be done?

Also, if a builder is needed, are we talking thousands?

I have asked the water company if they can give me contact information of someone knowledgeable there who would be able to assist me in determining what actually needs to be done, but am still waiting for a response.

BarelySentientAI

What does the map of pipework look like?

There not being a stoptap in the street specifically for that supply wouldn't necessarily be unusual, so saying they'd have to turn off the main for the disconnection could be true.

barnstar2077

BarelySentientAI said:

What does the map of pipework look like?

There not being a stoptap in the street specifically for that supply wouldn't necessarily be unusual, so saying they'd have to turn off the main for the disconnection could be true.

Thank you for your response, where do I find the map of pipework? 

ThisIsWeird

This is strange, Barnstar.
Was the water meter fitted for the shed's supply installed by the Water Board? Any idea why? Why didn't they take a supply from the house? Where is the shed's meter located?

Does the house have its own water meter? If so, where is it located?

Both meters should also have isolating valves and, what's more, the usual convention is for the WB to own everything up to the meter - why does this seemingly not apply in your case?

BarelySentientAI

barnstar2077 said:

BarelySentientAI said:

What does the map of pipework look like?

There not being a stoptap in the street specifically for that supply wouldn't necessarily be unusual, so saying they'd have to turn off the main for the disconnection could be true.

Thank you for your response, where do I find the map of pipework? 

Most people get a utilities and drainage survey when they purchase which usually shows these things.

barnstar2077

ThisIsWeird said:

This is strange, Barnstar.
Was the water meter fitted for the shed's supply installed by the Water Board? Any idea why? Why didn't they take a supply from the house? Where is the shed's meter located?

Does the house have its own water meter? If so, where is it located?

Both meters should also have isolating valves and, what's more, the usual convention is for the WB to own everything up to the meter - why does this seemingly not apply in your case?

The house has it's own meter, which is in a brick kitchen cupboard.  I will have a look for the isolating valves outside.  If I turn that valve off for the shed, I still need to cap it outside in some way though, as I can't risk someone turning it back on at some point.

The shed water meter comes up through the floor of the toilet floor, but not against the outside wall.  If I remove the loo and the cubicle I will end up with a water meter three feet into the middle of the shed floor.  So everything must go in the shed, including the meter.  So it will have to be capped in the street.  It is very annoying.  If they had put it the other side of the loo, I would just box it in to protect it, let them install a new meter, but have it capped above that, so there was never any chance of it being used.

So, who is responsible, me or the water company?  Don't I have a legal right not to have their water to my shed?

Hoenir

barnstar2077 said:

  Don't I have a legal right not to have their water to my shed?

Which law are you referring to?  

ThisIsWeird

barnstar2077 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

This is strange, Barnstar.
Was the water meter fitted for the shed's supply installed by the Water Board? Any idea why? Why didn't they take a supply from the house? Where is the shed's meter located?

Does the house have its own water meter? If so, where is it located?

Both meters should also have isolating valves and, what's more, the usual convention is for the WB to own everything up to the meter - why does this seemingly not apply in your case?

The house has it's own meter, which is in a brick kitchen cupboard.  I will have a look for the isolating valves outside.  If I turn that valve off for the shed, I still need to cap it outside in some way though, as I can't risk someone turning it back on at some point.

The shed water meter comes up through the floor of the toilet floor, but not against the outside wall.  If I remove the loo and the cubicle I will end up with a water meter three feet into the middle of the shed floor.  So everything must go in the shed, including the meter.  So it will have to be capped in the street.  It is very annoying.  If they had put it the other side of the loo, I would just box it in to protect it, let them install a new meter, but have it capped above that, so there was never any chance of it being used.

So, who is responsible, me or the water company?  Don't I have a legal right not to have their water to my shed?

That's such a strange setup! Usually the meters are fitted where the supply to the house is tee'd off from the mains supply which usually runs down the road. The meters and stopcocks are therefore located just outside the house's boundary, and remains fully the WB's property and responsibility.

Are you sure the WB fitted this shed's meter? That would imply that the shed had to conform to building regs and had planning permission to be a separate habitable space. Could that really be the case?!

From what you said earlier, the WB 'engineer' claimed that the whole street's supply would need shutting off in order to cap off the supply? That would suggest that your house, and your shed, do not have street-located stopcocks.

Sorry, no idea who has responsibility here. I'd have thought it would be a given that someone could tell the WB to remove their supply if the building was no longer going to be a 'habitable' space. But, no idea.

BarelySentientAI

ThisIsWeird said:

Sorry, no idea who has responsibility here. I'd have thought it would be a given that someone could tell the WB to remove their supply if the building was no longer going to be a 'habitable' space. But, no idea.

I think that you can ask the WB to remove it, but you might have to pay their costs for doing so.  Just like if you no longer want an electricity or gas supply.

barnstar2077

Hoenir said:

barnstar2077 said:

  Don't I have a legal right not to have their water to my shed?

Which law are you referring to?  

I am talking about the right to not have a service if I don't want it.

barnstar2077

I will have to ring them again and try annd talk to someone in the know.  Surely they would have to be involved, I can't just ring them up one day and say I have removed their water meter, they will think I have bypassed it!