your guide to completing an application for a new or replacement water connection from your property to an existing water main If you wish to apply for a new or replacement water connection you should complete the online form with assistance from this guidance note. We understand completing the application form may at first glance appear to be very complicated and for some customers this may be the first, and only, time they will apply for a new or replacement connection. The guidance notes are designed to take you through the step by step process you should follow, and offer advice on the information we will need to design, plan, and connect your new or replacement water supply. Please note that the form will not allow you to submit incomplete or incorrectly completed applications as this would result in a delay to your application being processed. We are committed to getting you connected as quickly as possible, and without any complications or delay. Along with all the Water Companies in the UK, Veolia Water Central Ltd have voluntarily adopted a set of performance standards for providing new and replacement connections*. However, to meet these performance standards we need you to provide us with as much information as possible about your site and water demand requirements. We ask therefore you read each section of our guidance on completing the application form carefully to ensure we receive all the necessary information. Remember, if in doubt, it is better to provide more information than not enough. Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended) It is important you note by completing the application form for a domestic connection, in the absence of information to the contrary, you are serving Veolia Water Central Ltd with a Notice of Connection under Section 45(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991. As the Statutory Undertaker in your region we are bound to comply with the statutory obligations provided for within the Act. Upon receipt of your application we will contact you within 3 working days to advise you: (a) on whether your application and accompanying information is sufficient for us to proceed or whether we require more information or clarifications before proceeding (b) of our obligations as the Statutory Undertaker (c) of your obligations as the party serving a Notice of Connection (d) of the next steps in continuing with your water connection If you still have any queries after reading the guidance notes, our Customer Service Team (08451 552 088) will be happy to offer further advice on how to complete the form, or on the information we require. * Water UK: Water industry guidance on the requirement of information and levels of service for water mains requisitions and service connections (available from Water UK website at: http://www.water.org.uk/home/policy/reports/industry-guidance/levels-of-service-guidance) Section A Applicant Details In this section please provide full name and contact details of the person and/or company making an application for a new or replacement water connection. In using the online form we will assume that you wish to use electronic media to communicate with us. If you want to receive communication in hard copy, please note this will be sent to the address provided here, regardless of whether you specify a different billing or invoice address in Section F. Occasionally it may be necessary for one of our technical experts to contact you by telephone to discuss your proposals in more details. Please ensure you have provided at least one daytime telephone number so any queries we have can be resolved quickly. If we are unable to contact you on the telephone number you provide after three attempts, we will write to you advising the nature of our query. If it is necessary to write to you, until you reply to us (via telephone or in writing) we will not be able to progress your application further. New and Replacement Connections Guidance (Revision: December 2010) Page 1
Section B Connection Details To undertake a design of a new or replacement water supply we need to collect as much information about your proposed development to ensure the supply we provide is adequate to serve your needs. This will also enable us to develop a more accurate cost for the installation works. (i) Please specify the type of development you are proposing to construct (please tick all that apply and indicate how many of each development type you are planning to build). Type (a) New Build House Description You are building a new single occupancy house either on land either where a previously demolished building stood or where there was no building previously. This will be a water supply for domestic purposes. (b) Conversion of existing building You have an existing building which you are not demolishing but intend to undertake structural alterations: either to split into multiple units (e.g. conversion of a house in to flats) or change its use (e.g. change a shop into a residential dwelling) Please specify the nature of the conversion in the box provided on the application form. (c) Separation of your joint supply You currently share your supply with neighbouring properties and wish to have your own dedicated supply to your property. (d) Upsize or replace my existing supply You are extending or altering your property and your existing supply is no longer adequate to serve your water demand, or you wish to renew your existing supply. (e) Field/ Trough supply (f) Fire supply You require a dedicated supply to serve agricultural purposes You are only applying for a dedicated fire supply to be installed to your property (g) Landlord/ Bin store supply You require a dedicated supply to be installed to a common landlord area for cleaning purposes (ii) (iii) (iv) Although we cannot guarantee to meet your own works programme needs, we will do our best to accommodate your requested connection date. If you do not have an existing supply to the property or site and require a water supply for building purposes you can apply for a temporary supply to the site, either by applying separately for a temporary supply or by installing one of your permanent connections early as a temporary supply. Answer yes to this question if you require a supply for building purposes which can be later be used for a permanent to serve your future development. We have a statutory duty to ensure that customers receive accurate billing information for water charges, and therefore for Developer Services we will require the full postal address for the property. Please ensure you provide a full postal address for new properties (if necessary please provide this on a separate sheet and attach to the application form). Some examples of postal addresses we are able and unable to accept are provided below: Example of an acceptable Postal Address Examples of Postal Addresses we cannot accept 21a High Street HA24 3DA Land adjacent to 21 High Street HA24 3DA Plot 1 21 High Street HA24 3DA 21a High Street This is an acceptable postal address This is not acceptable as the property is not uniquely identified This is not acceptable as this is the temporary name for the property This is not acceptable as the postcode is missing Page 2 of 6
We understand sometimes at the time of application it may not be possible to provide the full postal address. In these instances, we will still proceed with your application and issue you a cost, but will not be able to install your connection until we are in receipt of the full postal address. If you do not have this information, please ensure you obtain it promptly to prevent a delay to your connection. If you are applying for a replacement connection for your existing property, please enter the full address of the existing property. (v) You may be applying on behalf of the owner/occupier of the property/site; if so please also provide their name(s) and contact details. We need this information to ensure that we are aware of who is taking overall responsibility for the property/site. Please indicate whether you are the property owner, the current occupier, or acting on their behalf, by selecting the appropriate option from the tick boxes provided. Section C Your Existing Supply We need to gather information about any existing supplies to your site or property as part of our design process to enable us to make an assessment of any disconnections that may be required when your new or replacement supply is installed. (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) If your site or property does not have an existing water supply, or has not had a supply in the last five years, please tick no. If however, your site or property has an existing water supply, or had one within the last five years you should tick yes and answer questions (ii) to (x) as necessary. If you answered yes to (i) above, please advise us whether any of the water supplies are still connected. If you are unsure, please tick don t know and we can make our own assessment when a technical expert visits the site. If you answered yes to (ii) above because you have an existing water supply then please write your Veolia Water Central Ltd Customer Reference Number in the box provided (You can find your Veolia Water Central Ltd Customer Reference Number in the top right hand corner of a recent Water Charges Summary for that supply). Some customers prefer, if possible, to retain their existing supply as part of their new development. If you do wish to retain your existing supply then please indicate this using the tick box provided. Please note that we have a statutory duty to ensure the wholesomeness of water up to the point of supply and in some instances after investigation we may not allow you to use the existing water supply, to ensure that this standard can be maintained. In these instances we will write to you advising of this, and the statutory reasons for doing this. If you have specified in (iv) that if possible you wish to keep your existing supply, please indicate your intended use for this supply. This will assist in our assessment of whether your existing supply can be retained. Please provide information on the current use of any existing water supplies to your site to assist us with our assessment of the existing water supplies (for example, you might be constructing new houses on a site where once there was a factory served by a large commercial supply. In this instance the existing supply might not be suitable for an individual domestic supply). If you are demolishing any properties on the site, they may have been previously served by a water supply which needs disconnecting (to protect against future leakage and water quality). If you are planning to, or have demolished properties on your site, please indicate how many. (viii) Some older properties share their supply with neighbouring properties and to provide you with a new water supply will require termination of your connection to this shared supply. Please indicate in the box provided whether you are connected to a shared supply with your neighbours (If you are unsure if you are on a shared supply please take advice from your plumbing expert or building contractor). Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the existing water supply into your property is disconnected from the shared water supply in accordance with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. (ix) (x) Please let us know if your existing supply has a meter. If you are unsure, you can find out by looking at your water utility bill or alternatively you can contact the Veolia Water Central Ltd Contact Centre on 0845 782 3333 where one of our Customer Service Assistants will be able to advise you. Please advise us of the material type of your existing water supply to your property. If you are unsure of the material of your existing supply pipe please take advice from your plumbing expert or building contractor. Page 3 of 6
Section D (a) New Supply Site Details Providing information about the site needing a new supply will help us understand the risks of installing a non-barrier pipe service. Barrier pipe provides security against polluting the water supply from many chemicals that are present in the ground, although it is a more expensive product. You may choose to provide a ground condition assessment (soil report) with your application that will assist us in making a judgement about what pipe material to specify. You may also wish to include a photograph of the site with your application as it will help us understand the condition of the site. Please do not lay any pipework until you have completed your application form. The cost advice we shall send you will advise you of the pipe material to lay. Section D (b) New Supply Details It is your responsibility to bring external pipework (called the supply pipe) from your property to the site boundary between the edge of your private property and the public highway. To ensure that we can adequately provide pipework from the existing main to your site boundary (called the communication pipe) you will need to tell us where you wish us to make a connection to your supply pipe at the boundary. You can attach a plan of your proposed location (refer to the example images). (i) As a minimum you should show the following on your plan: The location of your property The location adjoining properties which may be affected by your development The street name where you require the connection to be made A clearly marked and labelled point of connection at the site boundary Street names of other roads (if your property sits at the corner of a road junction) Please note that we cannot guarantee there will be a water main adjacent to the connection point you specify. In these instances we will contact you to advise of alternative connection points adjacent to the main. However, you will still be responsible for laying the supply pipe from the property to the site boundary, including all costs associated with this work. (ii) For each of the questions provide suitable answers based on the proposed plumbing arrangements for your development. In some cases you will definitely know the answer, but in others you may need to take advice from your plumbing contractor or designer. Please note that it is important for you to ensure the information in this section is as accurate as possible as this may have an impact on your water supply requirements. Please note that if you are not intending to use a barrier pipe material for your external supply pipe you should not proceed with its installation until we are able to advise you of which material you need to use. We will not install your connection if you supply pipe is not of an approved material. (iii) (iv) If you are installing other services for your gas and electrical supply, please indicate which and when their expected installation date may be. Please complete the fittings table on the application form to show the number of each fitting you propose to provide in all properties. An example of what a completed fittings table might look like is provided. Section E Fire Supplies Some properties will require a dedicated supply for sprinkler systems or fire fighting purposes. This must be separate from your supply for domestic purposes. Complete this section if you require a sprinkler fire supply connection for your property. If you are unsure of your fire supply requirements please take advice from your plumbing expert or the contractor responsible for the design and installation of your sprinkler system. Page 4 of 6
Section F Invoice and Billing Details Some customers prefer billing information and invoices to be sent to a different address from the applicant (e.g. if you are a building company working on behalf of a client who has their own finance department). In this section you can provide an alternative address if you prefer. If you wish all billing information and invoices to be sent to the same address as that specified in Section A then please tick the same as applicant box. If you wish all billing information and invoices to be sent to a different address to that specified in Section A the please tick the different to applicant box and provide contact name, and address details of the person to whom invoices should be sent. Section G Additional Information, Checklist and Declaration Once you have completed the application form you should review the additional information checklist to ensure you provide us with all the information we need to progress your application. Please tick the boxes, as appropriate, to confirm you have enclosed the information. Please note applications returned to us without the required information will not be processed until all the necessary information has been received. This will delay your connection. You can attach this information at the end of the application form. Information you must provide for all applications before we can continue with your connection: 1. If you have specified in Section D that you are working on behalf of owner/occupier of the property then you should enclose with the application a letter from the owner/occupier which authorises you to act (and make commercial decisions, if necessary) on their behalf. 2. For all applications we will require a location plan (ideally to Scale 1:1250) showing the approximate location of the site or property. The location plan should be showing us the street/road your property is in and where your property(s) are in that street/road. Information you must provide if you are converting an existing, or building a new, property or development: 3. The site plan should be at a suitable scale (suggested, 1:200 or 1:500) to provide sufficient information about your development proposals. As a minimum the site plan should show the proposed property or properties, plot numbers, and building types for each property. This will enable us to verify that our proposals for the new connection(s) meet your design requirements. 4. If you are installing new plumbing, or making significant alteration to any existing plumbing you must enclose a Water Regulation Drawing. You should speak to your plumbing contractor or designer if you do not have this information. As a minimum the Regulation Drawing should show pipework layouts and proposed water fittings to be used. Page 5 of 6
Information you may wish to provide to assist us with designing your connection: 5. As part of the planning and design of new developments and properties, some developers arrange for a soil investigation to be undertaken which may include a ground condition assessment. If you are in possession of a ground condition assessment (conducted by UKAS and MCERT approved laboratories) then you may wish to include this with your application to assist us in making the material selection for the pipework. The soil report must contain as a minimum the following:- Current site conditions Site History/Envirocheck Map of where soil samples taken Laboratory results based on WRAS guidance Please note that if we do not receive a report with the above information from you, or the results from your ground condition assessment are inconclusive, then we will adopt a precautionary approach to material selection and install a barrier pipe suitable for potentially contaminated land. We strongly recommend you do not lay any of your external pipework from the property to the site boundary, before we have confirmed what pipe material you should use (this will be detailed on our cost to you). Please note we will not install your connection if you have laid pipework using the incorrect material. When you have completed the application form and attached the additional information as required, please confirm you accept the terms and conditions and then sign and date the application. All completed application forms and accompanying information should be returned to: Developer Services Veolia Water Central Ltd Tamblin Way AL10 9EZ Or submit your application electronically to: developerservices@veoliawater.co.uk Page 6 of 6