How to get Water on Site

There are 32 regulated companies supplying a mix of services for water and sewage supplies in England and Wales. This covers 19 regionals, five locals and eight licencees who deal with the bigger users.

These are all regulated by Ofwat, which is a non-ministerial government department established in 1989 when these services were privatised. The regulator aims to look after the consumer by ensuring good standards of customer service and acceptable pricing. In Scotland, you will deal with Scottish Water, which is a publicly-owned business.

In some parts of England and Wales, water supply and sewage collection are managed by the same company – accounting for 10 of the 19 regionals. The logic behind this link is simple. We drink very little of the water supplied to us and, consequently, in excess of 95% must therefore be taken away in sewers. The other nine are supply-only, which means sewage collection is managed by a partner firm, potentially giving you two separate monthly bills.

Drainage and water options

If you’re buying a rural plot with no history of housing then you may find getting your main services to site is going to be expensive. Even if it’s a brownfield site (ie somewhere that has been built on in the past, but not for residential use) any historic water supplies may be unreliable and are likely to be distributed through lead or corroded steel pipes.

Where you aren’t sure if there’s a supply on site then you should apply for a CON29DW Drainage and Water enquiry report, which costs around £45. This will map out the any issues for your land’s drainage and water. If there are no supplies, then at the very least it will show where the nearest recorded water main is located.

If you’re replacing an existing house then you need to investigate the type of water supply in place. Unlike gas and electricity connections, water meters (which are now increasingly the norm instead of a set monthly rate) are usually located in the pavement at the property boundary.

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