Replacing a shared supply pipe

If your shared supply pipe must be replaced, you will need to appoint a contractor and have the work carried out at your expense. Every property on the shared supply will be jointly responsible for a replacement of a shared supply pipe. In many cases the replacement of the pipe is the best long-term solution. If the pipe is in poor condition or is over 30 years old, a leak may indicate that the pipe is nearing the end of its life. If this is the case, we recommend that you replace the pipe. If you choose this option, we will normally allow you to replace the pipe with modern materials and this will be laid in the same location as the existing pipe.

Things to consider. Choosing to replace the existing shared supply pipe is likely to be less expensive than opting to install a new separate supply to each property, but there are a number of potential problems with a shared supply that you should be aware of:     If the stop tap in the street needs to be closed, all the properties on the shared supply will be without water. Use of water by one of the properties may have an adverse effect on the flow and pressure of water available to the other properties (although good design should avoid this). It is no longer possible to add further properties to the shared supply.

Opting for replacement. If the pipe needs replacing, you will first need to obtain approval to proceed from everyone whose property is served by the shared supply. We will offer each of you a payment of £100 towards the cost of the work. We may make this offer whether or not we have previously repaired the pipe. We can offer you free technical advice on the correct size of pipes as well as information of finding a suitable contractor to replace the pipe.

Qualifying for payment. To qualify for the £100 payment, the work must be completed and advised to us within 28 days of the date on which we confirmed the presence of a leak. The whole of the pipe must be replaced from the stop tap in the street up to the internal stop tap at each property on the shared supply. We will inspect the completed work and send each of you a claim form for the £100 payment.

What happens if you don't carry out the work needed? The waste of water is unacceptable. We will allow you a reasonable length of time to stop the leakage but if the repair or replacement is not carried out within 21 days, we will arrange for a contractor to carry out the work. If this happens, we will charge you for the work and will add all of our costs to the bill. Please note that if the leak is causing a serious risk to health or property, we may have no alternative but to turn the whole supply off without prior notice to you and we will write to you to advise the stops you must take before the supply can be turned back on.