Page 1 of External water supply pipes - legal issue

Does anyone know the answer to this problem? This is the situation in our road as it now stands.

A water pipe leaves the main road and travels under the back gardens of numbers 4 and 3 to reach our property (number 2) and finally number 1. Numbers 4, 2  and 1 are on a shared pipe. Number 3 has a completely different supply pipe, so the pipe that passes under their rear garden does not supply their property.

Number 1 currently only has a slight trickle coming out their tap downstairs, and not enough pressure to fill the roof tank, so no water supply upstairs. We (number 2) have reduced pressure, but not enough to cause any problems. Number 1 do not have a problem at all. A man has been out from the water board and assessed that there is a leak under the patio of number 3. 

Now for the big question. Who is liable for the repair? We had all this back in the winter, and at that point, they said there was a leak under our patio, so the entire supply pipe from the boundary of our property from number 3. through to the inlet to number 1 was replaced. Number 1 paid the work on their property and we paid for the work on our property (which was more than double their costs).

Neither of us want to pay again. We feel sure that number 3 should have to pay, but even the water board men don`t know so they don`t want to get involved. Totally fed up with this. They don`t warn you about situations like this when you buy a house.

Is the leak a result of age or is it more likely a result of damage inflicted as a result of the patio being laid (even after a number of years?).

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Writer`s Release

AFAIK... the pipes are the responsibility of the water company, they are here as South West Water wrote to householders stating they were going to take on the responsibility for them, unless you specifically wrote back and said you wanted to retain them.  In the house they are the homeowners responsibility, except where lead pipes still exist, they will remove and replace them due to health.

It is due to old rusty pipes, we know that.

And the water company keep telling us that the householders are responsible for their supply pipes from the stop cock out in the road (to the side of number 4  which is the end of the terrace).

They will not do any work at their own expense to any pipework on any of the privately owned properties. Meanwhile number 1 still has no water...

According to OFWAT

Quote:
Shared supply pipe serving more than one property laid under

Quote:
Land owned by any of the property owners served by the pipe is the

Quote:
Joint responsibility of all property owners served by pipe 
As 3 isn`t served by that pipe, it looks like it`s the responsibility of 1,2 and 4. And even crappier, any work that has to be done under 3 will probably need to be paid for by 1,2 and 4

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Jitendar Canth

Quote:
"I thought what I`d do was, I`d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes."

Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer & MyReviewer

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This item was edited on Tuesday, 13th August 2013, 15:42

Number 4 didn`t contribute last time as they were not affected. Again, they are not affected this time, as the problem lies after them in the pipeline.

It really is a horrible situation. The lady who lives at number 3 is out at work until early evening every day and she rents from a private landlord, so nothing can be done on her property until the evening when she is there. She did not let them investigate in her garden yesterday evening...

You really need to contact the landlord, as he/she`s the property owner. What work is done on the property will be the landlord`s responsibility.

===========================
Jitendar Canth

Quote:
"I thought what I`d do was, I`d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes."

Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer & MyReviewer

Carving out a niche with a pneumatic drill at Anime @ MyReviewer.com

I guess it wouldn't be covered under house insurance?

What insurance products do the water co offer, may be worth taking out one of them if they do one for all blockages, drains etc

I`m also guessing it won`t be covered on our house insurance as the problem is not on our property. We can`t afford this, end of story. I feel really sorry for our neighbours at number 1, but we don`t have any cash available to help with this problem.

As for insurance, you can`t take it out in order to have an existing problem sorted, so there`s not much point. Ideally the pipe needs replacing from the stopcock at the end of the row, under numbers 3 and 4, so that it joins to the new pipe at my boundary, but number 4 also don`t have the funds to contribute to that.

A similar water thing happened to us a few years ago.
One day i was in the garden and noticed the drain at the side of the house was almost overflowing. I tried to clear it with my hand but it kept refilling.
Just presumed it was a fat build up in the pipe or hair so tried a bit of hosing in and out.
No change.
That night we had a knock at the door it was our next door neighbour to our right. His garden had flooded with dirty water and crxp as he had the drain cover in the middle of the lawn.
His uncle worked for the water board so came out with his gear and put down lengths and lengths of metal poles to see where a blockage was.
We worked out he put a good 15-20 metres down and the block was coming from two doors down to the left of our house. We agreed to split the costs of dyno rod type people to sort it out.
Next door the other side of us refused to chip in as the water level wasnt causing them a problem (yet)
Turns out the new neighbours of blockage area had been flushing nappies down the toilet so had caused a massive blockage. Their landlord refused to pay the bill and so did they so we had to fork out £75 each!

If i had the time i would have chased it...you live and learn...

I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which i`m dying are the best i`ve ever had.