Can I connect my own water supply pipe?

[Steve T]

I am supplied by Anglian Water and have a lead water supply pipe. Can I replace the pipe myself from the meter to the house or do I have to get it connected or inspected by Anglian Water? Also, I have heard conflicting advice about how plastic pipe (25mm) is connected to the meter. 2 People have told me that it needs to be sleeved with a metal pipe at the meter end. Others say it only needs an olive. Who is right?

Thanks

[Phil Anthropist]

If the water meter is within the boundary of your property then maintenance and repair of these pipes is your responsibility, and as far as I know you can replace the pipe yourself although Anglian Water may want to check that the work meets their requirements. You need to ask them about this. But if the water meter is outside the property boundary (e.g., under the pavement) then it, along with the water pipes outside the property boundary, are the property of Anglian Water.

Phil

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[zaax]

Phil Anthropist mumbled

That not Anglia water told me, when I had a burst pipe next to the meter. The pipe up to the meter is my responsibility but only certain licensed companies can dig up the path and road.

-- zaax

[Phil Anthropist]

Was this burst pipe inside or outside your property boundary? By "pipe up to the meter", do you mean the pipe from the water supply main up to the meter, or the pipe from the water meter into your property? Obviously only approved contractors can dig up the road or pavement.

[Brian G]

Steve,

Have a word with your water company and they may just well replace the lead pipe for a copper or plastic one free of charge - or if not, may offer a financial grant to do so.

My water company, Welsh Water, were doing that a few years ago as part of a major upgrade of lead services.

With regards to your original question(s), I would suggest contacting your water company as you can then get the correct answers 'straight out of the horses mouth' as it were.

Brian G

[Richard]

Hi

Im actually a Water Regs inspector that looks at this sort of thing for a living (don`t all groan at once), although i work for Severn Trent rather than Anglian.

ANY pipe work on your private property is your responsability to maintain, and yes you can replace it as required yourself. Some water companies (most AFAIK) operate a scheme to encourage the removal of lead pipework, basically along the lines of "you replace yours and we`ll replace ours".

As for inspections, then Anglian water will require you to complete this work and call them to inspect - unless you use an approved contractor who is registered with Anglian or some other water comapny, IOP, WRAS. However, speaking as a practising plumber who does the odd one of these replacements here and there, there isn`t a lot of brainpower involved in completing the work yourself, just plenty of physical effort in digging. If however you choose not to call for an inspection (as many people do) then its highly unlikely you`ll get found out & even if you do nothing will happen.

If you choose to do it yourself then ensure that the new pipe is at least

750mm below ground (max 1350), you enter the house via a suitable duct (or a new product called Insuduct). If you go down this route drop me an email and i`ll go into chapter and verse.

As for connecting to the meter, i assume this is within a stoptap box in the public footpath?, if so you CANNOT excavate the footpath to connect to it, Mr Council man will be all over you. Use something called a `transition` coupler and connect to the existing pipe just as it comes into your garden where your responsability starts. There are other fittings you can use but these offer the greatest simplicity. BES Limited sell both of them.

Best of luck

Richard

[zaax]

Richard mumbled

I was told (by Anglan Water) your responablity starts after the water meter or where it leave the main pipe not at the boundry property

[Richard]

You must have had a dummy on the phone in the call centre. Responsability starts at public highway boundary in 99.9% of cases, although there are a couple of noted exceptions, but on your typical urban house these probably won`t appl

Richard