Driveway Shared Water Supply Leak | Bathroom Advice | Plumbers Forums
Guest viewing is limited

Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws

Driveway Shared Water Supply Leak

Post thread
Post reply

Discuss Driveway Shared Water Supply Leak in the Bathroom Advice area at Plumbers Forums

G

GSP

Messages
13
Hi,
Apologies as I don't know exactly where to post this so hopefully this is an appropriate place.

My neighbour has a leak under his driveway which started as a small puddle, but has developed into something bigger and now flooding part of our new bloc paved driveway which was only laid in June.

Essex & Suffolk water have been round and said the leak is inside my neighbours boundary and issued him with a 30 day notice to fix.
Less than two years ago he had another leak not far from where the water is now, but they fixed that one. They did say at the time the next time he reports one it will cost him as this was a "free" one.

I am brought into this as it is a shared water supply pipe, but the neighbour is unaware of this as was I until yesterday. Reading material it appears I find myself liable to pay half the repair costs which I imagine will be over a thousand pounds.

My neighbour found a company who will do the work over the Bank Holiday weekend, so just over a week away.

I am trying to research and find out information on this subject as I am sure many do when faced with something they don't know about or the unknown.

Questions I have but haven't contacted anyone about yet.
- If I am on a shared supply, can I use my "free" repair card although its under my neighbours driveway.
- Neighbour had a similar problem close by less than two years ago. What about a guarantee from the free repair.
- Could contact my insurance. Its a bit vague if I am covered or not.
- Read an article where someone claimed on accidental damage. They said supply pipes do not wear out, they only leak when ground is disturbed by movement, tree roots, traffic vibration. Conincidentally there is damage in the road right next to the leak. When certain traffic goes over this it causes furniture and noises inside our houses such is the seismic activity sent out.
- Not say anything. Perhaps the company should have investigated to see if it was a shared supply.

I am hoping there is something I have mentioned which someone can say I should investigate or pursue which might help us or neighbour financially as we find ourselves in this situation.
Would appreciate any advice or suggestions.
Thanks
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I know it might be more expensive but

I would get two new water mains installed as it sounds like your is breaking down

Could split again 6 months down the line etc

And as the waterboard have already worked on the supply no sorry to say
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Check your home insurance papers as it may cover the leak.

Do you or your neighbor have any form of heating, drainage and plumbing cover ?

I don’t know if this is any help but a customer I know was having issues with their drainage (on their property) as it was a shared drain the waterboard (Yorkshire water) sorted it free of charge. I’d say speak to the local waterboard explain its a shared water mains see what they come up with.

If you don’t get anywhere then it’s what ShaunCorbs advised (post above).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hammers4spanners

Homeserve have had a lot of cut backs I doubt they will come and deal with it. They're limiting the new customer claims and the amount of the claim.

A few chaps I know work for homeserve. They’ve laid about 25/30 engineers off too and counting.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks for your replies.

Shaun - I believe the supply may split just before our houses. If the large majority of the pipe is under the neighbours driveway then a replacement there should keep us in good stead.

AMG - The neighbour contacted his insurance and they said it did not cover. Reading mine it seems vague. At present I am wondering if its best to play naive on two accounts. First, and had this from experience on other insurance once they get to hear of something even if you don't claim they put your premiums up. The second, while my neighbour asked me if our supply was shared and I wasn't sure they have gone ahead and booked a company to do the work and they haven't checked if the supply was shared either. At this stage as far as I am aware they will just deal with his driveway. In addition and great timing!, we have just spent over 5 thousand pounds having the whole front of our house bloc paved. I want as little disruption as possible because you can bet your bottom dollar they won't put it back as they found it. The paving has been set and sealed on concrete drylene (sure spelt that wrong), so I don't want that broken.
The neighbour did get a "free one" less than two years ago.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Shared water supply - shared costs.

I hate working on shared services, because the invoice should be shared amongst all that use that service.
Had one recently where 4 units had a sewer blockage, 4 different owners, 3 different agents.

I'm about ready to re-block the drain with concrete over payment issues
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
He had his suspicions as he asked but if I was unaware about the shared supply at the time, should it have been for my neighbour and the company to find out one way or the other before they actually start the work.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rob Foster said:
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
Click to expand...

Not needed on a repair but full install the water board might want to inspect
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
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
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Been up most the night thinking about this and like many always think the worst.
I am really not comfortable with this. The neighbour would have gone for the cheapest company and suspect he would not have researched/looked for reviews on who he has chosen. My fears are we will be in a worse state afterwards. A company turning up in spare time? What comeback is there if things turn out badly?
Is it worth having a word with the water company for any advice? After their investigation showed the leak was under the neighbours driveway, they served a 30 day notice and expect they are just waiting for notification work has been carried out.
Should I be involved more especially as I may be asked for half the cost when they are well into digging up piping?
Not having any control over this feels very vulnerable and at the "mercy" of others.
Any advice welcome thanks.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
New posts

Similar plumbing topics

C
  • Question
Why do I have no hot water? Please help
Is there a ball valve on the flexihoses? Might...
Replies
1
Views
949
Dan
Dan
H
  • Question
Is it a problem at all to add a stop tap if a house doesn't have one?
Well done, BUT, does it work and then does it...
Replies
8
Views
940
snowhead
snowhead
higerboler
  • Question
How to replace the water pipes in bathroom?
Call the building manager/ owner
Replies
1
Views
605
ShaunCorbs
ShaunCorbs
Bogart
  • Question
Water leak outside property
Ha easier said than done cutting back to...
2
Replies
33
Views
3K
Bogart
Bogart
A
  • Question
Shower leaking from elbow
Agreed! I was also going to suggest the same.
Replies
5
Views
974
plumbingservices
P
Back
Top