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Water supply cut off by builders

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  • 07-09-2010 11:54am
    #1
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭


    Hope someone can help and hope this is the right forum.
    My Neighbours are buildng an extension and for the last 5 days the builder has cut off our water supply. There is one stop cock that controls 3 houses. Our connection comes through the neighbours house and the builder has cut the pipe as he is building the foundations. He claims its not his problem as the connection is not on my property and Dlrcoco said its not their problem as its on the property next door.
    Any advice? Please as I'm cracking up...


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    #2
    kmick
    Registered Users Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭kmick


    The only hope is to talk directly to your neighbour and appeal to them. If they have any decency at all they will ask the builder to intervene. If that does not work you will have to make a complaint to the the local council - keeo ringing and complaining until someone has to do something.


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    #3
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Get on to local councillors about it. Try again with DLR council and ask for a senior guy to liase with you on this pretty serious issue. To be honest, if they still give you a blank stare, threaten Joe Duffy on them, it's an ideal topic for that show.

    How old is the house? I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to have 2 houses sharing the same mains connection...


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    #4
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    To_be_confirmed wrote: »
    Get on to local councillors about it. Try again with DLR council and ask for a senior guy to liase with you on this pretty serious issue. To be honest, if they still give you a blank stare, threaten Joe Duffy on them, it's an ideal topic for that show.

    Its not DLR's problem. It is in private land, the houses connected off it are responsible for the supply pipe once it crosses from public to private.
    How old is the house? I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to have 2 houses sharing the same mains connection...


    Shared services (most often back yard services) would have been common 20+ years ago.

    My advice is go to your neighbour -they are responsible for cutting off your supply. Was there any notice given that the supply would be cut off?


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    #5
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Thank you all for your help.
    The house is about 60 years old and the one connection in feeds 3 houses. I will have to contact my neighbours regarding this. I contacted my local TD yeaterday and only then did someone from DLRcoco contact me.
    If I've no joy with the neighbours the only other route is the legal one.
    There was no notice giving, my neighbours said nothing about the extension, they just moved out and builder moved in. How bloody rude..
    Thank god i've no children.....


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    #6
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Lu Tze wrote: »
    Its not DLR's problem. It is in private land, the houses connected off it are responsible for the supply pipe once it crosses from public to private.
    If Dublin county council workers were the ones who facilitated access to mains water and connected it instead to a neighbouring mains supply pipe, surely the blame resides with them? How was that practice ever even allowed?


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    #7
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Turn the tap/stopcock on so. You tried reasoning with him and your entitlement to water is greater than his entitlement to trun it off at his convenience.


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    #8
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    To_be_confirmed wrote: »
    If Dublin county council workers were the ones who facilitated access to mains water and connected it instead to a neighbouring mains supply pipe, surely the blame resides with them? How was that practice ever even allowed?

    In cities there used to be backyard mains supply a hand pump in a shared courtyard out the back of houses (early 1900s) when the water hadn't been piped into houses at that time. As people plumbed houses they connected onto that.

    In other cases a house would have been built and a connection off it, and when a neighbouring house got built the builder just connected off the nearest supply pipe.

    You have to understand this was mainly 60-70 years ago - these things wouldn't have been a concern.


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    #9
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    Turn the tap/stopcock on so. You tried reasoning with him and your entitlement to water is greater than his entitlement to trun it off at his convenience.
    The builder cut the pipe.


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    #10
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    But legally once you have enjoyed the shared water pipe for ( I remember 20 years from somewhere) you cannot be cut off. Go back in and JOIN the pipe again and tell the builder to sort it out with your neighbour.


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    #11
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Is it feasible to simply request a connection to the mains network directly off the council and thereby bypassing any issues with neighbours? I expect it would cost money but I'd be well inclined to invoice the neighbours with the bill and pursue it legally if necessary.


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    #12
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Get a temporary high court injunction , I bet the builder will sort it out once he is injuncted out of work. :)


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    #13
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Sponge bob, i'll look into the court injunction now.
    The pipe was cut so turning on the stop cock is not an option.
    I don't see why i should have to pay for work when the builder should be responsible for reconnecting the water supply! Should he not be responsible for the maintaning all the existing services that he makes alterations too?


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    #14
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    As far as i know legally they are on shaky ground. A right to water is enshrined in EU legislation at this stage so under normal circumstances the council can't cut you off without making alternative arrangements (water tankers/temporary supplies)

    If they were cutting off the supply pipe, they should have put in a temporary flexible one around where they were working to continue the supply while they worked. Take it to your neighbour first. Failing that i am not sure what the next step would be.


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    #15
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Lu Tze wrote: »
    As far as i know legally they are on shaky ground. A right to water is enshrined in EU legislation at this stage so under normal circumstances the council can't cut you off without making alternative arrangements (water tankers/temporary supplies)

    If they were cutting off the supply pipe, they should have put in a temporary flexible one around where they were working to continue the supply while they worked. Take it to your neighbour first. Failing that i am not sure what the next step would be.

    Lu Tze thank you for your reply. I think the first port of call should be to our neighbours. The builder told me he would have a temp connection done today so fingers crossed.


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    #16
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    Good stuff. If he doesn't do it, maybe inquire over on the construction forum as to whether small contractors like this would have professional indemnity insurance (or some such equivalent for contractors) and how you would go about making a claim or if you could threaten the builder that you will claim on it if he doesn't put it right.


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    #17
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    If the builder is prepared to do a temp connection today then there is no need for an injunction. That is for when the builder refuses to help at all.

    Tell the builder to get the neighbour over for a chat about a permanent fix. Remember that metering will have to be allowed for in future...meaning the council would have dug his garden up sooner or later to install them.


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    #18
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    If the builder is prepared to do a temp connection today then there is no need for an injunction. That is for when the builder refuses to help at all.

    Tell the builder to get the neighbour over for a chat about a permanent fix. Remember that metering will have to be allowed for in future...meaning the council would have dug his garden up sooner or later to install them.

    I'm thinking of the injunction only if the builder refuses to fix a permanent supply. The houses have been fed this way for over 60 years so why should i have to be out of pocket because of their works! The council don't really want to know. Hopefully talking to the neighbours will reslove this torn in my side.


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    #19
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    paper cut wrote: »
    I'm thinking of the injunction only if the builder refuses to fix a permanent supply. The houses have been fed this way for over 60 years so why should i have to be out of pocket because of their works! The council don't really want to know. Hopefully talking to the neighbours will reslove this torn in my side.
    Is the builder going to directly connect to the mains or is he going to fit a valve to isolate just the neighbour's house?


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    #20
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    His plan is to fix a new stop valve for the house he's working on only and no plan for my house. So his temp connection will be there for approx a week. Then we are on our own.


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    #21
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Thank you everybody for your advise, very much appreciated.
    I just got the water temp connection done and the builder now tells me he might be able to run a new pipe around the new extension and connect into my supply (off the neighbours new connection). Big difference from 'your on your own'. I'll keep you informed.


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    #22
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    See a lawyer and get them to write a stiff letter to the neighbour about this "nuisance" .


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    #23
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Eh.. I got kicked off the site next door. The builder put the water back on but the tank ball cock wasn't working. Confronted the builder saying that this wouldn't have happened if the water wasn't turned off & to give me the number for the neighbours. He said it wasn't his problem & he wouldn't give me the number, so i lost it with him and got escorted off the site.
    Got the ball cock fixed by giving the pipe a few bangs with a spanner, so not all bad :0). What a day......
    Thanks everyone for your help.


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    #24
    Pete_Cavan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,703 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    To_be_confirmed wrote: »
    Is it feasible to simply request a connection to the mains network directly off the council and thereby bypassing any issues with neighbours? I expect it would cost money but I'd be well inclined to invoice the neighbours with the bill and pursue it legally if necessary.

    It may cost a few pounds but the best thing is to get your own connection to the mains supply. You said there are three houses using this connection, well what do you do if in six months time the neighbour on the other side decides they like the extension and do the same and cut your water again. At least if you have our own connection you have the peace of mind of knowing any problems are either our responsiblity (if the problem is within our property) or DLRCC (if the problem is in the public road) and you are not at the mercy of your neighbours. There is absolutely no way you would be entitled to have the cost of this connection payed for by your neighbours and pursuing it legally would cost several times more than the cost of the connection.


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    #25
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    OP: Please ignore the advice to seek an injunction etc. Unless you want to be out of pocket to the tune of 10 or 15 grand. Injunctions are horrendously expensive things. A solicitor would demand 3 or 4k UP FRONT before lodging for one at the High Court. Even if you got injunctive relief, and costs awarde in your favour, it's up to you to pay your legal team and recover the costs (somehow) from the other party. In short, the only practical way around this is to talk with your neighbours. Do you have a poor relationship with them or something?


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    #26
    Lu Tze
    Registered Users Posts: 3,495 ✭✭✭Lu Tze


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    It may cost a few pounds but the best thing is to get your own connection to the mains supply...

    At a guess i would say this is a backyard service , so getting connected to the mains to the front would be more difficult than normal. If there is side access it wouldn't be too bad, you could run the pipe around the side of the house, but if it is mid terrace you are looking at moling under the foundations (expensive) or reworking the internal plumbing for a connection at the front (also expensive)

    Either way this is likely to cost a fair whack unless you have side access to the back (assuming i am right in guessing its a back yard service). On the plus side, the pressure may be slightly greater if you connect direct to the main :)


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    #27
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Ah no, a temporary injuction costs about €1200 max if a junior does it. A full injuction is overkill.


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    #28
    paper cut
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭paper cut


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    It may cost a few pounds but the best thing is to get your own connection to the mains supply. You said there are three houses using this connection, well what do you do if in six months time the neighbour on the other side decides they like the extension and do the same and cut your water again. At least if you have our own connection you have the peace of mind of knowing any problems are either our responsiblity (if the problem is within our property) or DLRCC (if the problem is in the public road) and you are not at the mercy of your neighbours. There is absolutely no way you would be entitled to have the cost of this connection payed for by your neighbours and pursuing it legally would cost several times more than the cost of the connection.
    2 weeks ago my water worked fine, now it doesn't. I didn't dig a big hole in my neighbours back garden, I didn't cut the existing services without notifying anybody. Why should I now have to pay money to get a connection?? This is how the houses where built. The builder should be responsible for maintaining the existing supplies as he is the one who disconnected them.
    The house is mid terrace so would be a nightmare to get our own connection in and very expensive.


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    #29
    fantastic98
    Registered Users Posts: 312 ✭✭fantastic98


    lucernarian wrote: »
    Get on to local councillors about it. Try again with DLR council and ask for a senior guy to liase with you on this pretty serious issue. To be honest, if they still give you a blank stare, threaten Joe Duffy on them, it's an ideal topic for that show.

    How old is the house? I wonder who thought it would be a good idea to have 2 houses sharing the same mains connection...
    hi. I've been


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    #30
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    fantastic98 wrote: »
    hi. I've been sharing water with my neighbour for years without knowing about it. it's Not my house I live in but the owner installed a new shower recently and it didn't work as the pressure was low. this actually showed up what's been going on for years. the owner then contacted Irish water who said they'd get back to him.it's been about 5 days now and no word from owner or Irish water. would the owner have to pay to have this done. I'm on a RAS with Galway city council. any help appreciated on this. cheers Tom.

    7 year old thread isn't going to help you, start a new thread, preferably in the Galway city forum


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