New Water Connection - advice please...

[^woody^]

Woody - if only you'd said earlier that you'd made a site visit and you knew that there would be no drains running under footings, and that there would be no excavation within 3m of a neighbouring owner’s building or structure which would go deeper than the neighbour’s foundations or within 6m of a neighbouring owner’s building or structure where it would cut a line drawn downwards at 45° from the bottom of the neighbour’s foundations, think how much time we could all have saved.

and

Was referring to the construction of a WC in an office block as a new room, which I would have thought would require parts F, G, H, M and P, approval apart from anything else.

The OPs question relates to what he has to do get a new water and drain connection to existing buildings, and what details he needs to provide to the water companies

Nothing about new buildings, building regulations, 45 degree angles or neighbours properties, party wall excavations etc

 

[Tipper]

But a new loo and drain requires Building Regs approval even if not connected to the public sewer.

 

[^woody^]

Yes, and it will require some toilet roll and a bleach block, but that was not asked in the OP either

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The OPs question relates to what he has to do get a new water and drain connection to existing buildings, and what details he needs to provide to the water companies.

True, but unless you think that the connections can be made without excavating anything then excavations there will need to be.

Read the OP's question again - ask yourself if it seems to be written by someone who knows about everything that's involved apart from what drawings to give to the water companies.

Then tell us if you think that telling him that he isn't doing anything structural when you have absolutely no idea whether that is true, and when you have absolutely no idea where the excavations will be in relation to neighbouring properties was good advice or not.

 

[^woody^]

Excavations for water pipes or drains are nothing to do with building control or anyone else. Neither are the water companies interested in the actual excavations other than what is required to get the pipes in.

The question relates to if he can submit the details to the water company himself, or if he needs to employ someone to prepare stuff instead.

So even if other work is related it is not relevent, the answer is that the OP can send basic details about the pipe layout himself

 

[dextrous]

Excavations for water pipes or drains are nothing to do with building control or anyone else. Neither are the water companies interested in the actual excavations other than what is required to get the pipes in.

The question relates to if he can submit the details to the water company himself, or if he needs to employ someone to prepare stuff instead.

So even if other work is related it is not relevent, the answer is that the OP can send basic details about the pipe layout himself

May well be true. However, I was taking into consideration that the op intends to install a toilet, and was thus suggesting that since this will involve BCO and all the relevant regs, it would be an opportune time to get someone to draw out the specifications for this small build, which would include proposed drainage and water supply runs.

I am surprised that you say that new drainage is nothing to do with building control, since I was led to believe that any modifications or additions to the existing provision (even though in this case there is none in place) is indeed notifiable. If what you say is true, why is there a specific BCO visit made to check any such new/amended drainage runs?

 

[noseall]

I am surprised that you say that new drainage is nothing to do with building control

Woods did not say that, merely that the excavations as such were not what b.c. were particularly interested in.

 

[dextrous]

I am surprised that you say that new drainage is nothing to do with building control

Woods did not say that, merely that the excavations as such were not what b.c. were particularly interested in.

Fair enough

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Excavations for water pipes or drains are nothing to do with building control

Really?

Silly me - imagine thinking that if you need to excavate under or around foundations that it could have any relevance whatsoever to the structural integrity of the building.

Note that I didn't say that Building Control would necessarily be involved, only that the Building Regulations could well apply. Do you not understand that there can be a legal obligation to comply with the Building Regulations even if the work doesn't require approval?

or anyone else.

Excavations for water pipes are nothing to do with anyone else?

Tell me - have you actually heard of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996?

Do you know what it says?

If you have paid a site visit and you know that it won't apply to the excavations the OP will do then fair enough, but if you haven't then you cannot possibly know that they won't be something to do with someone else.

Neither are the water companies interested in the actual excavations other than what is required to get the pipes in.

The question relates to if he can submit the details to the water company himself, or if he needs to employ someone to prepare stuff instead.

So even if other work is related it is not relevent, the answer is that the OP can send basic details about the pipe layout himself

You see - I guess this is the difference between you and I.

If someone in a car stopped and asked me for directions, and I noticed that he had smoke coming out somewhere, I'd tell him.

You on the other hand would be happy to see him drive off to his death, and would say "he only asked me how to find the library, not if his car was on fire, so I didn't tell him about that, even though I knew full well that it would be of vital interest to him."

You're a prize prat.

 

[^woody^]

You're a prize prat.

Maybe, but at least I do know what I am talking about, and don't plagiarise google and then regurgitate this as pseudo-knowledge.

Is it also true that people become abusive when they know they are losing the argument? Try Google

 

[dextrous]

Maybe, but at least I do know what I am talking about, and don't plagiarise google and then regurgitate this as pseudo-knowledge.

Is it also true that people become abusive when they know they are losing the argument? Try Google

Not that I want to get involved in this bickering, but as an observer, it does seem that BAS isn't the only one becoming abusive, and as such you seem to be fulfilling your own criteria for "losing the argument".

 

[Shytalkz]

Yes, and it will require some toilet roll and a bleach block, but that was not asked in the OP either

 

[Shytalkz]

Back top the OP's original comments and questions.

Bringing a water supply pipe into the building is not part of BRegs in itself, but you would have to comply with certain installation criteria set down by the local water company. This includes such things as minimum trench depth, pipe type etc.

Now the act of bringing that pipe into the building may result in you needing to comply with the Party Wall etc Act, depending on proximity to neighbouring foundations. This too has nothing to do with BRegs.

If you need to come in under the existing footing, technically that is structural work and requires BRegs approval.

You will need BRegs approval for hooking up to any drains and the install of bogs and sinks.

Thus, as the Feisty One says, you can do the arranging for the pipework in and hooked up yourself, but, being a complete novice, it's probably best that you don't.

You don't need an architect, structural engineer or building surveyor, although any of these would be pleased to take your money off you and provide you with acres of shiney specifications, drawings and risk assessments to pad out their fee.

You don't need an architect's tech, who is a lesser-qualified version of the foregoing and ergo by rights should be cheaper.

All you need is a sensible general builder, who has some idea of what he's doing, can liaise with the water company re the hook-up, who can submit a building notice for you if any part of the works demands it and who has a plumber mate who can sub-contract for the more complicated plumbing bits, if he's not up to it himself.

The only bit that leaves out is someone re the PWeA and with that it's best to try and avoid any need to invoke that particularly senseless piece of legislation if at all possible, otherwise that will only be someone else's pocket getting lined for this frankly two-bit job.

Thus, you need someone like Noseall - and the Woodster himself does this kind of thing too, despite him being qualified in a non-dirty-hand side of the profession.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe, but at least I do know what I am talking about,

You are doing nothing structural

and don't plagiarise google and then regurgitate this as pseudo-knowledge.

I assume that you can explain and substantiate that, i.e. show in what way I passed off the work of an Internet search engine as mine?

 

[bernardgreen]

What we did on a totally DIY self build new house in 1981

Sewer connection... we informally asked the borough council who they knew would be able to trench out from our boundary into the highway and expose the sewer for our new connection. They could not recommend anyone but did give the name of a contractor that had carried out similar work. The contractor managed the whole thing for us, being adaptable when it was found impossible to connect as planned ( cast iron sewer and not as per the council's maps ).

Water... we opened a trench, laid the pipe in sand and the water company came along, installed the meter and connected us.