Negative water pressure

[James Moore]

Kind of off topic because I have no intention of fixing this myself. But I wonder if anyone has any similar experiences or advice?

My flat was built by Bryant in 2001. It is 3rd floor in a development of about 90 flats in 10 blocks on the NW corner of Bolton town centre.

From time to time during the day the water pressure drops. It varies between fine, to a feeble dribble, to absolutely nothing, in roughly equal proportion. Apparently this is piped directly from the mains with no storage tanks. The water meter is on the pavement outside which suggests that my pipes are not shared with other flats in the building.

This occurs at peak times like weekday 7:30am but also at other times like 00:10am Sunday morning. Today at 10:40am I was tring to run some water in the kitchen - no water. In fact I could feel a suction from the tap. I experimented with a glass of water from earlier, and the tap sucked it right down. Obviously a health risk to us all.

United Utilities say the water pressure delivered to the site is fine. Bryant Customer Care are playing the foot dragging card (It's being dealt with by our management/technical/legal team etc...).

Should UU be guaranteeing the water pressure to individual flats? Or is it bad design on Bryant's part.

Thanks for any help James Moore

[Huge]

Aaaaeeeeiiiiii!!!!!!

My parents bought a Bryant house once. I remember doing my 'O' levels surrounded by Acrow props holding it up.

[Dave Liquorice]

They have a legal obligation to provide a given pressure at the boundary stopcock, probably at or close to your water meter. Wander over to the OFWAT site and find the real values and rules.

I'd write a letter detailing the problem, particulary the suction, both UU and Bryant with a copy to the local Enviromental Health department. The latter will have the clout to knock the other two heads together.

[tim]

I had a similar problem with my flat in London.

TW told me that they were under no obligation to supply a particular water pressure to an nth floor flat, only to ground level. If this causes the pressure to be insufficient at higher stories then the flats ought to have been built with a pump, usually to communual tanks on the roof.

However, it is very rare for the pressure to be anywhere near the minimum amount and all of this should not be necessary. What is the situation with your neighbours, (same floor, lower floor, higher floor if there is one). Are you at the top of a hill (i was)?

(My problem when away as TW told me that they were increasing the pressure anyway ands some month later this is what happened)

Tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

Answer is to inject cyanide, kill off the rest of the occupants of the block, and experience 'wuiet enjoyment' and full water pressure..

[stuart noble]

I think the OFWAT web site contradicts that. In general they are obliged to provide minimum pressure to the top floor. Whether that means constant, average or what, nobody seems to know.

[David Hearn]

essure/$FILE/Water+Pressure.doc

Note that they have a get-out clause by saying "where it can do from its reservior and it can choose the reservoir it wishes to use".

Essentially, if you have a 100 storey building, and none of their reservoirs have the necessary pressure to supply the 100th floor, then they can say they can't do it (or even, skeptically, chose the reservior to supply you from which doesn't have the pressure).

Of course, this assumes they don't pump the water to increase the pressure. If they do pump it, then the clause may be just there to cover the time when a reservoir runs dry (ie. they're not required to supply water if the reservior has run out) rather than to cover reasons for lack of pressure.

D

[Owain]

"David Hearn" wrote |

| > essure/$FILE/Water+Pressure.doc | > "What standards are the companies legally obliged to meet? | > Companies have a statutory duty to supply water constantly and at a | > pressure that will reach the topmost storey of buildings within the | > company's area. The company only has a duty to supply where it can do from | > its reservoir and it can choose the reservoir it wishes to use to supply | > individual customers. Ofwat enforces the company's statutory duty" | Note that they have a get-out clause by saying "where it can do from its | reservior and it can choose the reservoir it wishes to use".

I would read that as meaning that the company has no universal obligation to supply water, but where it can supply from its reservoir it must, and when it does supply it must supply constantly and at pressure. It could refuse a new connection on grounds of capacity but once having provided a connection must maintain the supply.

If it's a tall building I wonder if it's worth getting the fire brigade involved, in case fire hoses, wet risers, sprinklers etc are put out of action because of low pressure.

Owain