Help! Stopcock problem ???

Mike2010

Hi,
Like many others I woke this morning with no mains water.
I opened the manhole this afternoon and found the stopcock under a small piece of polystyrene.
In the hole I see a brass stopcock, a gray plastic pipe and a brass fitting. The gray plastic pipe (about 6 inches long between the stopcock and the other brass fitting) is smooth at the stopcock end and looks to be threaded at the other end where it is connected to the other brass fitting.
The problem I see, is that the gray plastic pipe appears to be very loose. I can turn freely. Also, the Brass fitting at the other end can move freely. I looks to me like, if I gave the pipe a little pull I could pull it off the stop cock altogether!!
With that in mind, I'm reluctant to try to thaw the stop cock in case I start a flood.
Is the plastic pipe form the ballcock to the brass fitting suppsed to be just wedged between the two?
I would really appreciate some comments from anyone who knows about these things.
Also, if this is a problem, is it my problem or the council's problem? Is anything my side of the stopcock my problem? Or is it the councils problem considering it's under the public footpath?

meercat

any chance of a pic.probably worth a chance if your suck.

Mike2010

Sorry for the delay. Here is the picture of my stop-cock.
The stop cock is the top left of the pic. Then there is the 6 inches of pipe connected to another brass fitting which brings the water to my house.
You cant see it very well in the pic, but, were the plastic pipe is connected to the stopcock, it's just resting up against it. I dont think this is normal....right?
I'm concerned that when it thaw's it will leak water everywhere.
The plastic pipe seems to be fitted solidly to the fitting in the bottom right of the pic. If I attempt to turn the pipe, it moves freely and the brass fitting moves with it.
I dont know if it was alway like this, or did the freezing somehow dislodge the pipe from the stop cock.
Another problem here is that the square at the top of the stopcock is right up against the wall of the manhole. I dont I will be able to shut off the water easily if I need to.

Anyone familiar with this type of stopcock setup? Any comments welcome...

aujopimur

You need a specific key for that type of stopcock, the grey pipe is where your water meter will be installed in the not too distant future

Mike2010

ok, but is it ok that the gray pipe is loose and just pushed up against the stopcock? OR should it be ineserted into it in some way?
My fear is that when the stopcock thaws and the water runs again, i'll have a water feature on the foot path outside my drive