Water connection design and kit list

[djcdan]

Apologies if this is not the correct area of the forums. Please move if needed.

 

I am planning to self-install our water connection beyond the boundary after Scottish Water has installed our new connection to a stopcock on boundary edge. Before I purchase materials for the job, I'd like to delve in to the knowledge/experience of members here to make sure I have everything covered and the layout of the connection is suitable.

 

Site

We will have a supply for the house (yet to start), garage (which will double as the point for building water supply) and temporary caravan. In the future, we may run this part of the water connection beyond the caravan where we plan to have a greenhouse.

 

Layout

Scottish Water have confirmed they will install up to a stopcock on the boundary border, which is to be enclosed within a boundary box.

 

As you'll see on the drawing, beyond this, I have the supply splitting with a 90° tee and each line with it's own stop tap. I'll aim to have all three stop taps (x1 SW installed and x2 self-installed) accessible from the boundary.

 

The north line will go towards the finished position at the house, capped and waiting for the build to start. The stop tap will be shut off until supply is integrated to build and needed.

 

The south line will serve the garage (long term as garden tap, short term as building water) as well as temporary static caravan. Just beneath the standpipe, there would be a 90° tee taking the supply to the standpipe. Beyond the stand pipe would be a stop tap to control supply to the caravan.

 

Material list

Before purchasing materials, have I got everything covered below:

MDPE 25mm blue pipe (enough length as required)
x3 Compression stop taps
x1 Stop tap chamber (boundary box)
x2 90° tees
x1 Underground water main warning tape
x1 25mm pipe cap
x1 Stand pipe (non-return valve and compression inlet)

 

Is the layout are materials list suitable for what is required of the job. Due to current circumstances, local merchants aren't open so would prefer to correctly order everything is one go.

 

Thanks in advance!

[PeterW]

Turn the main tee round and send the spur off to the garage leg. Run a straight run to the house, no breaks and no restrictions. Water pressure drops when you put Tee's in the way you have at the boundary.

 

I'd also only put a stop tap at the house where it is accessible, and not the underground ones you have shown.

[Russell griffiths]

Yep as peter said. 

 

[djcdan]

@PeterW Thanks. I'll do that.

 

Other than that, everything looks ok, and the materials list shown will complete the job?

[Mr Punter]

Make sure you get pipe inserts for the fittings.

[Dave Jones]

if it was me, id run it all in 32mm from the meter. For a little increase in cost the flow losses are as small as you can make them.

[djcdan]

@Mr Punter Thanks. That has been added.

 

I came across an inspection chamber offered by jdpipes.co.uk advertised as a boundary box for those in Scottish Water areas - https://store.jdpipes.co.uk/scottish-water-boundary-box-meter-chamber/

Has anyone used this or am I best just using a standard stop tap chamber with stop tap and non-return valve installed within?

I also noticed in the connection guide provided by SW that during their inspection, they would need to see the double check value (non-return valve) and drain valve installed. What is the drain valve? 

[Russell griffiths]

I don’t know how much room you have, but I have a concrete inspection chamber 600x 450  with all my bits in, I like that I can lift the lid and actually get both arms in with spanner’s if I ever need to change a tap or non return valve. 

It has a normal metal lid just like a manhole cover. 

[djcdan]

We received a quote for a road opening this evening and to tar the access opening to the road. The quote came through as:

£2390 - Plant and labour to lay tar access (22sqm) @ 80mm base layer and surface layer of AC10 at 40mm with seal to existing road. Also tar reinstatement to public road (5sqm).

£1540 - Liasse with Scottish Water to organise track inspection and connection. Plant and labour to excavate 4m across the public road. Backfill trench and connection hole ready for tarring.
£300 - Road opening permit

 

Above not including VAT.

It is worth noting that the quote does not include preparation to the sub base. I will be laying the sub base (hardcore) to a depth of 150mm along with a friend who is a garden landscaper.

 

I will also be organising the works so that tarring to the road and access will happen at the same time in one visit rather than over two visits.

 

Is this the sort of pricing that would be expected? It feels a little steep for the amount of time and materials needed for the job.

[ProDave]

To save yourself a lot of grief. Only install a single site stand pipe close to the SW boundary box and get your connection made to that.

 

THEN after you have your connection, install the rest of your pipe work.

 

Sometimes you can buy the same sort of boundary boxes cheap on ebay.  I bought 3 of them. One feeds the site stand pipe, one feeds the static caravan and one feeds the house.

[djcdan]

22 minutes ago, ProDave said:

To save yourself a lot of grief. Only install a single site stand pipe close to the SW boundary box and get your connection made to that.

 

THEN after you have your connection, install the rest of your pipe work.

 

Sometimes you can buy the same sort of boundary boxes cheap on ebay.  I bought 3 of them. One feeds the site stand pipe, one feeds the static caravan and one feeds the house.

I'm planning on completing my end of the pipework to the boundary box before Scottish Water connect to their end of the boundary box. The reasons for this is:

 

1) It will allow us to complete all groundworks to the access - inc laying sub base - at our own pace whilst reducing previously expected labour fees whilst we wait for lockdown to be lifted (SW won't connect at the moment).

2) By completing all groundworks, it allows us to bring the groundworker (for the tarring) to site for one visit rather than two. Bound to save on cost.

3) Everything we can complete now during lockdown would effectively stop because the water trenches haven't been backfilled. They cut across all land that we plan to work on.

 

The current layout of my pipeworks isn't as shown in the OP. It has evolved beyond that point and now feel confident with stop tap/inspection chamber/tee placement to get water to the places needed whilst optimising water flow to the main property. However, I also have a pre-start meeting via phone with Scottish Water on Thursday where I can basically ratify my plans with them.

 

However, my enquiry now is relating to the cost of laying the tar, excavating and resurfacing the road. In your opinion, is this quote reasonable or on the high side?

Edited May 25, 2020 by djcdan

[Simplysimon]

@djcdan i would do as @ProDave said, get the connection to the box and then connect. if you run your pipe sw will need to examine all your pipework prior to their connection being made. ensure you have all the double check valves in place as well.

[djcdan]

@Simplysimon @ProDave Ok. I'll bring this up in the pre-start meeting to find out exactly what they need and may have to change my schedule of works.
 

Quote

if you run your pipe sw will need to examine all your pipework prior to their connection being made

However, what is the difference between 1) completing all pipework and backfilling the trenches ahead of their connection and 2) completing all pipework after SW have been and gone? In both scenarios, SW wouldn't see the pipework. Why would they have interest in viewing pipework in scenario one, but not scenario two? I presume they wouldn't return to check pipework our side of the boundary if we installed pipework later?

What's your opinion of the quote to tar and excavate the road?

[ProDave]

They WILL want to see all pipework in place and confirm somehow that it is buried to the required depth.  For what I had done I showed them photos of the trenches with the pipe in the bottom and a tape measure.  And they wanted to see all the double check valves.

 

Just saying that it is less grief is you do the bare minimum, pipe from toby to your stand pipe and no more. Then add the rest later.

[SuperJohnG]

I'd agree with @ProDave do the bare minimum if you dont need  water straight away then do the rest later. 

I was planning in getting a supply from 450m away from SW main line termination (fire hydrant point). The whole process was flawed from the start they couldn't tell their arse from their elbow when I had a pre start inspection etc. Even though  they wouldn't adopt the line from the connection point (it would have been a private line) they still wanted to do a track inspection

 

Eventually I realised it was far too costly to come down a B road 400m. I sacked it off and have opted for a borehole as it's cheaper, less hassle dealing with SW amd I cant guarantee 3 bar at the house...provided there is water there. ?

 

However that's me not you. Defo do what you need for them then do the rest at another point. Be prepared to be running around after them. 

 

 

[Simplysimon]

22 hours ago, djcdan said:

We received a quote for a road opening this evening and to tar the access opening to the road. The quote came through as:

£2390 - Plant and labour to lay tar access (22sqm) @ 80mm base layer and surface layer of AC10 at 40mm with seal to existing road. Also tar reinstatement to public road (5sqm).

£1540 - Liasse with Scottish Water to organise track inspection and connection. Plant and labour to excavate 4m across the public road. Backfill trench and connection hole ready for tarring.
£300 - Road opening permit

 

Above not including VAT.

It is worth noting that the quote does not include preparation to the sub base. I will be laying the sub base (hardcore) to a depth of 150mm along with a friend who is a garden landscaper.

 

I will also be organising the works so that tarring to the road and access will happen at the same time in one visit rather than over two visits.

 

Is this the sort of pricing that would be expected? It feels a little steep for the amount of time and materials needed for the job.

here's my price, doesn't inc road as i was doing that through a contractor

[djcdan]

@Simplysimon My quote from Scottish Water for the connection is roughly the same.

The works in your quote box relate to the opening of the road, resurfacing and the laying of the tar access. It'd be great if someone who has had similar road works and tarred access laid could confirm if this is the sort of quote I should be expecting?

[SuperJohnG]

That's pretty much the same figure I got it..it only accounts for doing the connection to the main. 

 

You have to dig the 2m square hole around the connection point and reinstate etc.. 

[ProDave]

11 hours ago, djcdan said:

@Simplysimon My quote from Scottish Water for the connection is roughly the same.

The works in your quote box relate to the opening of the road, resurfacing and the laying of the tar access. It'd be great if someone who has had similar road works and tarred access laid could confirm if this is the sort of quote I should be expecting?

When I had my water connection, SW gave a price initially not including the road crossing.  I then asked for an "all works" quote, and the price went up £1000 for the road crossing of a 3M wide single track road, hardly any traffic so no traffic management needed.

 

That was way cheaper than I could get anyone else to do the road crossing for so I chose that option.

 

It was not SW that did it, they instead appointed a local contractor and they guys were great and helped me install a duct for other stuff in the trench before they filled it.

[djcdan]

@ProDave Interesting. Thanks for that information. That is definitely worth exploring with SW. We are in a similar position - very quiet road with no traffic management needed.