Swapping existing supply to new build

[Bancroft]

Just had one of those wonderful illogical discussions with Portsmouth Water...

 

We live in a bungalow on the plot where we're building a new house.  The aim is to build the new one while we live here, then knock the old bungalow down.

 

The stopcock for our water supply is about 6ft inside our main gate and only supplies the bungalow.

 

Portsmouth Water say they are only responsible for pipework up to our boundary.

 

I said I would dig the trench and make the connection myself - on our land and on our side of the stopcock.

 

To which they then replied that they own the stopcock and I can't touch it, plus they would need to inspect my trench (on my land and nothing to do with them by their own admission...)

 

Question - when the time comes to connect the new house, do I actually need to involve the water company at all?

[Nickfromwales]

Say nothing more. 
 

Make sure the pipe is compliant, and installed to the correct spec / depth etc, with photos taken holding a tape measure, and carry on.

 

If there’s any risk of there being contaminated ground / soil the use a barrier MDPE pipe instead of a regular MDPE.

[Gone West]

  On 19/03/2025 at 11:48, Bancroft said:

Question - when the time comes to connect the new house, do I actually need to involve the water company at all?

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I built our house in the garden of a bungalow, which we lived in while building. I just Teed into the supply pipe in the garden and ran it to the new house. When the bungalow was taken down I used that supply as a garden supply. I never asked or told anyone.

[tuftythesquirrel]

Same here with Welsh Water. We converted a church hall and there was some very old 1950’s ½” copper pipe coming from the main road over our property. I removed it all and replaced it with 32mm MDPE right back to where our property meets the road. Never laid a hand on their stopcock, just threw it in the skip. 
We need a fire suppression system (Welsh Building Regs.) so required around 100 L/min flow rate and the remainder of the ½” pipe was restricting our flow. 
I used the fact that we now didn’t have a stop cock to our property and asked them to provide one. They agreed and dug the road up to install the stopcock and replace the ½” copper with 25mm MDPE without a problem. Weren’t interested in inspecting it, even though it was correctly installed. 
Our flow rate went from 60 L/min to over 100 L/min as a result. In doing so, saved the cost of a new supply. Since they have put the water rates up this year by 27%, not losing too much sleep over it. 
I think it was because they have so many departments. If you speak to the developers section the official line is they need to inspect it, but the maintenance guys don’t care.

Edited March 19 by tuftythesquirrel

[Bancroft]

  On 19/03/2025 at 12:28, Nickfromwales said:

Say nothing more.

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Tempted to do just that.

 

I'm generally a 'by the book' sort of person but I get a little peeved with these service companies who hold a monopoly over us and want £100 to come out and 'do a survey' each time you try to talk sense with them.

 

One small fly in the ointment is that our supply is presently a commercial water supply (as opposed to domestic) so I would need to keep it that way until everything is sorted.  Shouldn't be too much of a hardship but I dislike the commercial water company we're tied to.

I presume that would also the time they would want to come out and stick a meter on the supply.  Not keen on a meter but we would probably benefit from lower bills as only two of us.

[Bancroft]

  On 19/03/2025 at 13:12, Gone West said:

I used that supply as a garden supply

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I think that's what the former owners did too.  The present house is a genuine, old-style self build (they put it up without planning permission and got retrospective permission about 20 years' later - I doubt a building inspector has ever set foot through the door!).

 

Scattered around the garden are 4 garden taps and we have no idea what torturous path those supplies might take...

[stu w]

I have just gone through a similar scenario with ST water. 

As nickfromwales has said.

 

Follow their guidelines,  750mm deep , sand both sides depending on the ground etc.

I used barrier pipe just because I was unsure of the ground , yes it's more expensive but once it's done it's done .

They were happy with a series of clear pictures of the installation.

Brass stop tap on the inside and proof of insulated ducting where it come into the house 

Edited March 19 by stu w

[Nickfromwales]

Just be aware that if you use barrier pipe (to err on the side of caution) you cannot use regular MDPE fittings, as these are slightly different sizes to prevent it. 
 

You’ve got to buy the correct barrier bends, tees and couplers etc .

 

And don’t forget the inserts!