Driveway Shared Water Supply Leak

[Rob Foster]

put in 2 new supplies, when you come to sell now you know you have to tell - pain now gain later

 

[Ric2013]

I had the opposite experience. I had a neighbour's pipe leak under my drive. My neighbour used her free repair to have it patched up, even though it was under my land. You may be able to use your free repair, no harm in asking, but I agree with others: sounds like the pipe has had it if this same pipe has failed twice in a short time period. Bear in mind if the neighbour's drive has a decorative finish, the free repair is unlikely to pay for the decorative finish to be fully re-instated.

Supply pipes can corrode, particularly in certain soil conditions. Pipes underground are often copper, lead, or steel.

What if the road is collapsing due to the flooding caused by your pipe? Perhaps the highways department of your county council will be claiming the cost of repairing the damage to the road caused by your leak from you?

How can you expect a guarantee on a repair? They only repair a small section. Most likely the pipe has failed elsewhere. Would you guarantee the whole of a length of pipe most of which was put into service before you were born, and give a guarantee of this kind on a free service? I wouldn't. I think the point of the free service is to give people a bit of time to get used to the idea of a new supply pipe being needed.

Not what you probably wanted to hear, but nothing lasts forever and now the pipe probably needs regular repairs to keep it watertight, or complete replacement for a few decades of trouble-free service. Your choice.

 

[GSP]

Thanks for your replies and thanks for your comments Ric and don't mind reading them. I'm interested in all options.

At present, the work is due to start next Saturday. The only conversation I have had is with my neighbour who asked if I shared the pipe and I said at the time I don't know. It must be shared though because when I returned home one day after the water board had been round to see him my supply had been turned off as all the taps had a short air blockage which spluttered out.
My neighbour and the company doing the work must be aware our supply is shared however as in the street there must only have been one shut off cock there. Can't understand that.
Do I just wait to see how events unfold next Saturday and if they just get on and do it. Less involvement is best. More worried about our six week old bloc driveway which cost 5 grand to put down. I am hoping disruption over my area is minimal.
After next weekend, sure hindsight will be a wonderful thing and wished I had done this or that.

 

[Ric2013]

I would have my concerns over the fact that you don't appear to have had any say in the matter or what contractor is used yet are going to be asked to pay a proportion of the cost. I think it's something you should be agreed on first.

 

[GSP]

That's what I was wondering Ric. The neighbour asked me if the supply was shared and I did not know. You would of thought before anything that would have been cleared up when the guy from the company who are going to do the work came round initially.
In life there are times when you step in, but times when you also have stepped in and in hindsight was best left just as things be to play out.
Do I wait for them to start the work only to be told when they are well into it its shared and I am liable for half the cost.
Do I contact my insurance company now to see if I am covered. On that one, we let a car insurance company know someone had hit our car only slightly from behind. No visible damage and no claim was ever made, but the premiums went up for years in case a claim was made, even though we were the ones that got hit. So you can see from my side the less involvement with insurance companies the better.
If they start the work, knock on the door to say I am liable being shared do I just tell them to stop where they are as I have to speak to my insurance etc. By that time however there would be such a mess outside they best carry on and complete it.
I also wonder who will put our driveway right as I am sure they won't leave it in a state before they started. Something tells me if they know I am involved at the start they will flout and take short cuts. If they are not aware and think the work is just being done for the neighbour they will "tip-toe" around the edges, or at least be more careful.
Thought had past my mind to go away over the weekend while the work is being done. On the other hand wanted to keep an eye on things while they are here.
Just call it experience but when the guy from the company came round I could hear him talking outside to the neighbours.
He done all the talking and said things to them to worry them and make sure they signed up to him. Knowing them they would go for the cheapest, but I would go for the company where you would feel more comfortable with and it certainly wasn't this guy. Just would not trust them and need to be about.

 

[Rob Foster]

Most building trades and jobs have an association. I would say that when the job is finished that you will arrange for the relevant trade body to inspect straightaway and assuming all is good pay directly
maybe a building inspector could be involved or someone like the block paving assocaition

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Most building trades and jobs have an association. I would say that when the job is finished that you will arrange for the relevant trade body to inspect straightaway and assuming all is good pay directly
maybe a building inspector could be involved or someone like the block paving assocaition

Not needed on a repair but full install the water board might want to inspect

 

[GSP]

Thanks guys. Believe they are going for the full install. I heard the guy from the company saying a woman kept calling them out to do repairs and it amounted to fifteen thousand pounds so assume he was doing a sell to the neighbours on the full work.

 

[GSP]

Just to add the neighbour said the company was not VAT registered which he seemed happy about. From googling seems companies have to turnover £85k to have to do this. Would of thought with the sums involved this would easily take them over that threshold. Does this add up them not being VAT registered? Something on the side with the work being done Sat-Mon BH weekend?

 

[Rob Foster]

When I was a McAlpines Fusilier a lot of the A33 Risely bypass ended up on locals driveways - basecoat, top coat,gullies all done with site equipement, terex (me), rollers and a D9 Cat once ! All done summer evenings and Sundays and bank holidays. If there is any blackstuff involved then it will old stuff and not be right temperature cause the plants are on shutdown