Working near our pipes

If you're planning significant work near our mains or sewers, it's important that you minimise the risk of damage. We’ll need to check that your development doesn’t reduce capacity, limit repair or maintenance activities, or inhibit the services we provide in any other way. This is important so that we can meet our obligations under Section 174 of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Whether you’re working near our pipes, building over them, or need to request a diversion, please read these guidance notes to understand the process you’ll need to follow.

Guidelines for working near our water mains and sewers
.pdf | 489.7 KB

If you’re planning any of the work listed below, please contact us with details of what you plan to do and how near the work will be to our assets:

Piling.
Crane operation.
Demolition.
Abnormal load transport.
Excavations.
Dewatering.

Guidance on piling, heavy loads, excavations, tunnelling and dewatering
.pdf | 771.5 KB

Next steps

Once you’ve read the guidance notes and examined where our pipes are to see how close your work will be to our mains or sewers, you may need to apply for a diversion or a ‘build over’.

We’re unlikely to permit any development or structure within five metres of our largest water pipes, known as trunk mains, or within three metres of our distribution mains. If you intend to do this, you’ll need to apply for a diversion.

If you’re planning work near our sewers you may need to divert, build over or close a sewer.