Neighbors Burst pipe

last_mile

Morning All,

Not sure this is the right place, please feel free to move if not.

Also apologies for the long background below:

Last July I bought a mid-Terraced property in Scotland (i.e. Not Leasehold).

At the end of September, I noticed the sound of water running through pipes continuously.

Having lived in a flat that was completely destroyed by burst pipe previously, it played on my mind.

I first asked a Central heating installer (when he was installing my Hive) about it, he thought from his listening and knowledge in was under my floor in kitchen.

I then engaged my boiler & pipes cover plan, their Plumber identified it was outside the property but need local water board to locate toby.

Local waterboard has came out in December and have been of great assistance, it turned out they thought the leak was in the garden of the property connected to mine.

They offered to repair it for the neighbor.

Upon attempted repair they found it was in fact under my neighbors' kitchen.

Now I know this isn’t currently my problem.

But the noise is continuous, and I have water anxiety.

How long is reasonable to live with it?

Is it likely to damage my property?

We’re almost a month down the line from it being fully located and I swear its getting louder (especially with all the valve isolations).

Am I just being overly anxious? 

Albermarle

Upon attempted repair they found it was in fact under my neighbors' kitchen.

What is your neighbour saying? Are they waiting for someone to come out to repair it?
They must be pretty worried about a significant leak under their house ?

last_mile

Albermarle said:

What is your neighbour saying? Are they waiting for someone to come out to repair it?
They must be pretty worried about a significant leak under their house ?

Getting a hold of my neighbors is problematic, they both work shifts.
To be honest I'm almost certain the wife doesn't like me, she is very standoffish (she gave me into trouble for taking my bin in at 9:30pm when I got home from work).

When the waterboard was out originally trying to locate, they admitted to the guy that they'd been hearing it loudly too and just been ignoring it.

JohnB47

What's the situation regarding water meters. Do you have separate meters, or none at all? If you do have meters, the neighbour will be paying for their lost water and reminding them of this might encourage them to fix the problem.

However, as it hasn't been mentioned, perhaps you don't have meters. In that case, are the water board happy to let someone simply waste unmetered water?

last_mile

JohnB47 said:

What's the situation regarding water meters. Do you have separate meters, or none at all? If you do have meters, the neighbour will be paying for their lost water and reminding them of this might encourage them to fix the problem.

However, as it hasn't been mentioned, perhaps you don't have meters. In that case, are the water board happy to let someone simply waste unmetered water?

I'm based in Scotland so no water meters for me or them.
The waterboard offered to fix it within their boundaries to stop the wastage but once its entered their house they wont touch it.
I suppose the water board may not like it but they cant force them (that i am aware) to fix and it has been going for months.

I just worry, given we're attached, if its doing damage to mine aswell.
I will say tho it is at the opposite wall from our attachment but still worries me.

GDB2222

What sort of soil do you have? Not the topsoil, but what's underneath that? Is it sand, say, that will just allow the water to trickle away pretty harmlessly? 

last_mile

GDB2222 said:

What sort of soil do you have? Not the topsoil, but what's underneath that? Is it sand, say, that will just allow the water to trickle away pretty harmlessly? 

I cant say i know tbh.
I assumed rock and rubble but then also some sort of concrete pad?

its more the "spraying against the foundations under pressure" idea that worries me.
Water is seriously destructive.

twopenny

How deep is the pipe? Did you see the waterboard digging for yours or did they use a pipe camera?

If it's near enough for you to hear then it may be fairly shallow and you could sink a barrier on your side to at least give you peace of mind.

It's odd though that you can hear water running all the time. Or was that just a turn of phrase?

I know that I share a pipe with my neighbour or it runs the boundary and when she has a shower or flushes the loo and I'm outside I can hear it running through the pipe.

JohnB47

last_mile said:

JohnB47 said:

What's the situation regarding water meters. Do you have separate meters, or none at all? If you do have meters, the neighbour will be paying for their lost water and reminding them of this might encourage them to fix the problem.

However, as it hasn't been mentioned, perhaps you don't have meters. In that case, are the water board happy to let someone simply waste unmetered water?

I'm based in Scotland so no water meters for me or them.
The waterboard offered to fix it within their boundaries to stop the wastage but once its entered their house they wont touch it.
I suppose the water board may not like it but they cant force them (that i am aware) to fix and it has been going for months.

I just worry, given we're attached, if its doing damage to mine aswell.
I will say tho it is at the opposite wall from our attachment but still worries me.

Thanks. This is surprising to me.

So let me see, if a water pipe bursts just outside of your house boundary and sends plumes of water into the air, the water company fixes it quickly. But if the same thing happens within your boundary, its no problem. Really?

I would have thought that any water company supplying water that was obviously being wasted (unless it was metered perhaps), would take action to require the 'waster' to correct the problem. Seems not. (yes, I know, the 'waster' is sometimes the water company themselves, but they do eventually fix the problem).

silvercar

JohnB47 said:

last_mile said:

JohnB47 said:

What's the situation regarding water meters. Do you have separate meters, or none at all? If you do have meters, the neighbour will be paying for their lost water and reminding them of this might encourage them to fix the problem.

However, as it hasn't been mentioned, perhaps you don't have meters. In that case, are the water board happy to let someone simply waste unmetered water?

I'm based in Scotland so no water meters for me or them.
The waterboard offered to fix it within their boundaries to stop the wastage but once its entered their house they wont touch it.
I suppose the water board may not like it but they cant force them (that i am aware) to fix and it has been going for months.

I just worry, given we're attached, if its doing damage to mine aswell.
I will say tho it is at the opposite wall from our attachment but still worries me.

Thanks. This is surprising to me.

So let me see, if a water pipe bursts just outside of your house boundary and sends plumes of water into the air, the water company fixes it quickly. But if the same thing happens within your boundary, its no problem. Really?

I would have thought that any water company supplying water that was obviously being wasted (unless it was metered perhaps), would take action to require the 'waster' to correct the problem. Seems not. (yes, I know, the 'waster' is sometimes the water company themselves, but they do eventually fix the problem).

What should happen is the water company serve notice on the owner to fix it themselves. If they don’t oblige the water company should fix it and bill the owner. If the owner refuses to pay, the water company apply to put a charging order on the deeds, so they get their money when the property is eventually sold.

you should put pressure on the water company to do this, if necessary by telling them you will hold them liable for any damage resulting from the continued leak. You could also inform the neighbour of the  same in writing.

Eldi_Dos

I would have concerns that neighbours reluctance to deal with leak would invalidate any building insurance they may have.