Know your water rights - and responsibilities!
04/04/2008
The Consumer Council for Water wants householders to be more aware of the rights they have as water consumers.
Water and sewerage companies must adhere to certain guaranteed levels of service. If companies fail to meet some of these standards, water customers are entitled to compensation.
For example, water companies must, when possible, make an appointment to visit a home in advance and keep that appointment. Customers also have a right to be notified about any planned service interruptions which would last for more than four hours.
Customers are entitled to have a water meter installed for free. This means that from then on charges are based on the amount of water used, instead of the rateable value of a home. Those who choose to make the switch have the right to go back to their original method of charging within 12 months if they are unhappy or don’t seem to be saving money by making the switch.
When a property is sold the water meter can’t be removed and all future water charges will be based on the amount of water used. This is important to keep in mind when buying a home because the new homeowner does not have an option of choosing between a metered water charge and a charge based on the rateable value of a home.
Where meters can’t be installed because of shared pipes or other difficulties, customers have the right to an alternative charge which will more closely reflect their actual water use.
A water company can insist that a meter be installed when a home is sold in an area classed as water stressed. To date, the south east of England is the only area classed as water stressed, but this could expand to other areas as water resources are stretched.
Customers are responsible for the water supply pipes in their gardens and homes, but if a leak is found on the property which causes a higher bill than normal, customers with a water meter have the right to a leakage allowance, meaning that the water company will not charge for the water lost through the leak.
Many water companies have programmes to help detect and fix private pipes, so any customer who suspects a leak on their property should contact their water company as soon as possible.
With rights come responsibilities, and it is the customers who are responsible to maintain any household plumbing, drains or private sewers that carry waste away from the home, both inside and outside the property boundary, until the point where these connect with the public sewers. This would not apply to most houses built before 1937 which have shared drains, as their shared pipes have been adopted by the water companies.
It is the customer’s responsibility not to abuse pipes and drains by dumping fats, oils and grease in the sink or disposing of chemicals like paint thinners down the sink or toilet. Toilet cleansing cloths, baby wipes, cotton wool, cotton buds, tampons, condoms, nappies, and plasters should be put in the bin and never flushed away. Three quarters of sewer blockages are caused by people flushing or dumping items they shouldn’t and half of sewer flooding is caused by these blockages.
It is the homeowner or tenant’s responsibility to have contents insurance which would cover damage if a toilet backs up or a nearby sewer overflows and runs into a home, although if there is a problem with the public sewers and sewage runs into a home, those customers have the right to a refund of their sewerage charges for that year.
Dame Yve Buckland, National Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said: “Consumers may not be aware of some of the safeguards in place to protect them, and Consumer Council for Water staff are on hand to answer any questions they may have about their rights and responsibilities as water customers, as well as the level of service they’re receiving from the water and sewerage companies.”
The national website is linked below
Public enquiries to the Consumer Council for Water’s national number, 0845 039 2837, or email enquiries@ccwater.org.uk.