Connecting your own water main to meter?

[Fash]

Hi everyone,

I was in the process of digging a new trench for the water main when the inevitable (or almost inevitable) happened and I put a pick-axe through the old one. Fortunately I had checked I had a key to turn off the water meter given the inherent danger so not too much spillage. (The other half who was in the shower was significantly under impressed!). Anyway, with the advice of a friendly gas-man (utility problems are us at the moment - big gas leak last Wednesday resulting in new gas main) I dug right back to the meter finding a 25mm MDPE compression fitting reduced down to a 6" piece of 20mm MDPE connected to the iron I'd put the hole in.

At the moment I now have 10m of 20mm MDPE connected to the meter (truly DIY) which joints on to copper by the house, all temporary. I think I can probably find the fittings to come straight off the meter in 25mm MDPE which (whilst it's not 32mm) should be good enough as we have quite a high pressure supply anyway. If I don't mention it to the water company I save a minimum of =A3300 by doing the connection, plus they don't get the chance to condemn all my internal fittings which I haven't got round to replacing yet.

Has anybody done this, i.e. self connected a water main and is there any chance (short of them coming round to read the meter tomorrow - fortunately they read it last week) of the company knowing or caring. Probably the most important thing is that if I do it I don't have to wait for them to inspect before backfilling and putting the gas main on top (at an appropriate separation obviously).

Comments?

Fash

[Mogga]

Did you put a pick axe through that too?

[Rick]

I found that the bit of pipe (1/2 a mile in my case) after the water meter is mine, do pretty much do with as I please. When we replaced this pipe I simply connected the new one to the old one, about 24 inches on my side of the meter. Leaving 24 inches gives me a few bites at the cherry so to speak, before I have to touch the meter.

Mr Water Borad has been round since, and the trench was clearly visable for about 6 months while the grass grew back, and the mess the digger made in the mud cleared itself up.

Rick

Rick

[Martyn Pollard]

If you already have a water meter to give you a MDPE connection on your boundary, then they won't know what you are up to unless the inspector happens to walk past. The only thing to say is that there may be a bit of lead pipe on the bit between the meter and the street supply. Some suppliers replace that section free of charge. I am pretty sure Thames Water charged the customer for it on a job I did last year.

There are specifications to ensure the pipe is installed correctly but as you say its unlikely they would ever request you dig up your side to prove it. In most cases its to prevent the pipe freezing. I have seen a pipe laid to no more than a 30cm before and the inspector refused to connect the supply until they dug it up and did it properly.

Water co.s will have someone who can give you the regs and they should inspect a DIY job for free if you leave the trench open for them.

Martyn