Replacing rising main pipe

FrinkDink

I've posted here before, but couldn't find my last thread, so I'll start a new one. Basically, we've been experiencing water problems in our house for a good few years, and our neighbours have not.

The main issue is the slimy feel to it a lot of the time. I have flushed out our pipework, and that improved it a lot, but even when I do this, a few days later the water goes back to its dodgy state. It happens like clockwork, about three days is about all the relief we get from the slimy element.

There are no problems with any serious bacteria, but it appears that the rising main (the pipe that connects from the road water main to your sink and attic tank etc) is infested with some sort of biofilm that turns the water a bit yellow and slimy in warmer weather. This may have happened due to stagnation, as some years ago, the house was unoccupied for about 12 months.

I'm a bit worried as to the cost of replacing the pipe, and the digging down etc. Any idea if a plumber would do such a job? Or if the pipe could be properly cleared/scoured without having to replace?

10-10-20

Oddly enough, your post has been deleted. I know as I replied to it, and it no longer exists!

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/searchbt.php?user=FrinkDink

Anyhow, what I said at the time was... did you contact the company in Cork to arrange to get a BOD test done on the water?
If not, then we suggest that you do so.

10-10-20

Ah no, silly me - here it is....
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055149226

FrinkDink

I have to say, 10-10-20... what will the results of that test tell me really? That I could need filtration equipment? No thanks. Been there, done that, disaster. Made the water terribly worse, compounding a bad situation. I am on a mains water supply in Dublin, not a well in a rural area. The water has been tested at least three times over the years, and there was never any harmful bacteriological results returned. My complaints would be classified as more aesthetic I suppose. The water seems to be fine BEFORE it enters my supply pipe, the neighbours haven't the same issues. As I said, flushing out my garden tap on full whack clears up the problem a bit (for a short time).

I know it sounds extreme, but I am sick of this problem and am willing to just replace the rising main if it comes to that. What I would like to find out is if there are any alternatives to this.

10-10-20

The real reason we suggested a BOD test was to prove or disprove whether there was a bacterial/organic problem with the water. This will give you the power to get onto DunLaoghaire Rathdown CC with evidence of an issue, instead of being fobbed.
Why don't you try it as I assume that a low BOD is a requirement of the water system - do you not?

FrinkDink

10-10-20 wrote:

The real reason we suggested a BOD test was to prove or disprove whether there was a bacterial/organic problem with the water. This will give you the power to get onto DunLaoghaire Rathdown CC with evidence of an issue, instead of being fobbed.
Why don't you try it as I assume that a low BOD is a requirement of the water system - do you not?

A low BOD certainly should be a part of this, but its not. Believe me when I say this: If I were to e-mail these people, or call them, or whatever, with negative feedback from a testing the biochemical oxygen demand in the water supply, they would tell me to f*ck right off. Nobody has any clue about such things down there, and they're pretty open about it. They have already washed their hands of me by saying they have done everything they can. They can do what they want, because my estate and a few others are not part of DLRCC when it comes to water supply, instead are contracted out to Dublin City Council, and have no say about our water quality. That has also been made clear. So it really is pointless. I would be paying for a test that would yield nothing.
Best I can hope for is to replace the rising main, and that should improve the situation. But I dont think I'll get any advice from anyone here on that one.

reg_anam

this is certainly a odd problem, never heard of anything similar before !

increase in hot weather certainly implies a biological problem

assuming the mains water supply is Ok - which seems reasonable given the water source, then the source of the bacteria lurks somewhere in the pipe lengths to your house from the main external stopcock (probably). [if the pipe before your main external stopcock is contaminated then even replacing the rising main won't solve your problem]

have you considered :

closing the main stopcock, disconnecting / cutting the pipe as close to the stopcock as possible on the house side and draining down the pipework (ideally leaving it for a few days to help kill off the bacteria/algae).

If you could connect a hose to your garden tap (opened) from the neighbour you could flush out the pipe with clean water from next door.

Also / alternatively once you have access to the pipe at the main stopcock you might be able to feed water backwards back from the attic (you would have to open a joint near the tank to connect to the rising main). You could introduce disinfectant or even ample quantities of salt to kill the algae. Just remember to flush your system well before your next cup of tea !

hope that gives you a few ideas and good luck !

P.S. do you have any damp spots in your garden especially where soil (toilet) pipes and incoming water could be mixing - or just a pool of stagnant water has developed in a hollow - that could be a possible source.

FrinkDink

reg_anam wrote:

assuming the mains water supply is Ok - which seems reasonable given the water source, then the source of the bacteria lurks somewhere in the pipe lengths to your house from the main external stopcock (probably). [if the pipe before your main external stopcock is contaminated then even replacing the rising main won't solve your problem]

have you considered :

closing the main stopcock, disconnecting / cutting the pipe as close to the stopcock as possible on the house side and draining down the pipework (ideally leaving it for a few days to help kill off the bacteria/algae).

If you could connect a hose to your garden tap (opened) from the neighbour you could flush out the pipe with clean water from next door.

Also / alternatively once you have access to the pipe at the main stopcock you might be able to feed water backwards back from the attic (you would have to open a joint near the tank to connect to the rising main). You could introduce disinfectant or even ample quantities of salt to kill the algae. Just remember to flush your system well before your next cup of tea !

hope that gives you a few ideas and good luck !

P.S. do you have any damp spots in your garden especially where soil (toilet) pipes and incoming water could be mixing - or just a pool of stagnant water has developed in a hollow - that could be a possible source.

Thanks for that reg. The problem we have with the supply is that if I do nothing (ie dont flush it out for even a few days) it becomes 'bad' again. Do you mean cutting the pipework right before the stopcock outside the driveway, or the stopcock under the sink?

Also, in the worst case (and with my luck, likely) scenario, if the pre-stopcock council pipe is contaminated, do I have any chance of convincing them to do something? I won't be able to prove that it is actually contaminated, I will just be pretty sure of it myself, which isn't a basis for them to lift a finger.

10-10-20

FrinkDink wrote:

Also, in the worst case (and with my luck, likely) scenario, if the pre-stopcock council pipe is contaminated, do I have any chance of convincing them to do something? I won't be able to prove that it is actually contaminated, I will just be pretty sure of it myself, which isn't a basis for them to lift a finger.

Again, you've got to prove that. The CC have been out and done their tests and haven't feed back to you, so get the BOD done and see what comes of it.
At the moment you have two possible causes.... disintegrating rising main or a bacterial problem. Use the BOD to exclude one of these, or you may even find that they are related!