Planning your works

Under section C2 of the Act you’ll need to check if we have any pipes or other equipment near your planned work. You can find out through our asset location search service, Thames Water Property Searches either online or by calling 0845 070 9148.

If you’re not sure whether our pipes or other equipment will be affected, please email our Development Control team, stating the work you’re planning and how close it is to our assets. If there will be an impact you’ll need to ask us for a budget estimate, as per section C3 of the Act.

We need to know about your scheme in entirety as we only provide a quote for one scheme, rather than a range of options. There’s a charge for asking for a re-estimate of the same scheme at a later date. Please put your request in a letter headed ‘Working in the street’ and post it to:

Thames Water Development Planning
Maple Lodge Sewage Treatment Works
Denham Way
Rickmansworth
WD3 9SQ

Please include the following information:

• The client – i.e. the qualifying authority with whom we’ll have a financial relationship.
• The consultant / agent / contractor (as applicable).
• A brief, general summary of your scheme.
• An indicative programme for your works.
• The source and proportion of funding from highways (or other) budget.
• Drawings in .pdf and CAD formats, which identify the location and layout against an Ordnance Survey background.

We’ll also need a letter of appointment if our financial relationship is going to be with another organisation and not directly with the qualifying authority. The same information is needed if you need an estimate under the Transport & Works Act 1992, which covers rail schemes.

If we have everything required, we’ll carry out a high-level review and produce a budget estimate for you.

If there’s no need to divert our pipes, we’ll provide a protection letter, detailing how to avoid damaging our equipment during your work. We may ask for further details or direct you to another team.

This initial estimate is free. We’ll also include the design fee that you’ll need to pay if you require a revised estimate at a later date or you need a C4 detailed estimate.

We’ll acknowledge receipt of requests within seven days.

For single diversions, we’ll provide an estimate within four weeks.

For multiple diversions, we'll give you an anticipated date by which we’ll provide you with our C3 budget estimate. Again, we’ll provide this date within four weeks of your request.

More complex schemes are likely to take longer. We’ll consider the entire project scope and its effect on our water and/or wastewater networks. We’ll provide procurement timescales at this stage for any items that are unusual or difficult to source.