Main water supply in a semi detached house UK?

Question

Our main water pipe off comes in through nextdoors wall could this cause a problem or is it common in semi houses? If they turned of their water supply would it turn off ours, or is it a different pipe running through their house not connected to their pipe work?

Its a 1920's house if that helps!

Answer 1

Hello,

(ANS) I think the answer here really depends alot on the age of both properties as much as the location. Houses built in the same street or by the same builder would have a common water supply system, (meaning) that all the houses in the same location use the same supply system of pipes.

However, for example where I live here in Leeds there are many back to back terraced houses and these are linked to the mains by a system of ring main/s piping so water pressure can be affected by someone esle using the supply in a next door house occationally.

**The problem you have to clarify here I suspect is wheather your mains water supply actually splits off from next doors i.e. comes off a larger common mains supply (so if you imagine a Y junction or a T junction in the pipe). OR wheather your water pipe is just physically laid into the ground along side your next doors supply. (are they actually physically linked or NOT?)

**THE ANSWER!! would be to contact your local water providor in your area as they may well have plans that show the piping locations in precise details. Or if you know the company that built the properties you could contact them if they are still in business.

**Failing the above you could try your local authority i.e. town or city counsell as they should also have plans related to major services & supplies (gas, electric, water, phone cables, TV cables,etc).

IR

Answer 2

We had a water supply like this in a row of terraced houses. We only found out when we asked for a water meter but they couldn't give us one. We had wondered why our cold water pressure fluctuated so much but of course it depended on what everyone else was doing!

The water supply company for your area should hold a map showing the layout of the pipes that they are responsible for. We have a map showing the water layout on the drainage enquiry that our solicitor got when we bought the house.

We now live in a semi and there is an old water pipe that comes through from next door but that has been replaced by a new pipe that comes down from the main along the pavement in front of the house and directly in. This was redone when they updated the pipework and installed water meters.

Answer 3

It is more than possible that your water supply comes to you via next door. This being so, then if they turned the water off it would clearly cut your supply.

However, I doubt they could do this in law as the pipe has been there a long time and so you have a right to its existence as it were. If the supply was cut off you could take your neighbours to court to have it reinstated.

Answer 4

You would really need to see what the connection is really like. You can have a branch off the mains supply that goes into your neighbour's house and from there to yours. If that's the case, turning off the mains supply valve to your neighbour's would also turn off the supply to yours.

But it could also be that the branch off the mains supply pipe tee's off into 2, one to your neighbour and the other into your property and each branch is equiped with its own cut off valve. If that's the case then you're more or less independent of your neighbour's supply.

Without actually seeing it, I can't say.

Answer 5

I have never heard of that before. what happens if you want a meter, or they do?
Most semis have their mains supply running straight up the front/back path.
Check just outside the house for you main valve.

Answer 6

If your dad is as capable as you say then he'll have no difficulty with this job. We replaced our water pipe, which was originally copper, with a new plastic pipe and it all went in easily. The only hard, physically, bit was the digging of the trench and the hole in the wall. For £250 I would certainly do it myself. If you do get someone to do it for you then hold onto the old pipe. There is reasonable scrap value in lead pipes.

Answer 7

Get in touch with your water supplier and if you are on a shared supply they use to put a new supply free of charge

Answer 8

The best way to answer this is to call on next door and ask them to turn off their water and see if it turns off yours. Question answered fully. Ask yourself how you turn off your water. Does that effect theirs. Best of luck.

Answer 9

Should be seperate but you know what builders are like they will cut any corner they can get away with! so you should perhaps ask your neighbours to turn theirs off and see what happens?