A number of requirements must be met before a supply is connected to our mains.

If we have to undertake a re-inspection, we may charge for this. See Miscellaneous Charges.

Your installation must successfully pass an inspection carried out by one of our Water Inspectors or if you are an approved contractor under one of the Water Industry Approved Plumbers Scheme you must provide a certificate of compliance. A pre-inspection will be carried out, which may be charged for if your installation is incomplete or was not installed in line with the following;

1. If you need South Staffs to undertake an inspection all of the pipework must be available for inspection so that our Inspector can clearly see the pipework depth and entry/connection points. Ideally, we would prefer you to leave your trench open for the inspection but we understand that this isn’t always practical so in these cases, we will allow trial holes to be set up for inspection purposes. The number of trial holes required can be discussed with the Developer Services Team.

2. Supply pipes must be laid to comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.

3. A new supply must not feed more than one property unless a previous agreement with South Staffs Water has been put into place.

4. All pipes must be laid in trenches that are between 750mm and 1350mm below finished ground level and must be ducted into the building.

5. For supply pipes of 63mm in diameter and larger over a distance of 25 metres or longer, you must provide a satisfactorily passed pressure test and chlorination certificate. You should contact us in advance of this test, as we may require one of our Customer Liaison Officers to be present for the duration of the test.

6. If during the application process you indicated that the land you are developing is anything other than Greenfield land you will have been required to send in a Soil Analysis Report. This report will be reviewed by our Water Quality Department. If the report indicates that relevant contamination is present at concentrations that are likely to affect water quality then all potable water pipe work on such sites must consist of barrier pipework.

7. Pipes must be laid in a continuous duct and insulated where they pass through the foundations, are buried under buildings or are installed under suspended floors (e.g. block and beam). Contact the Water Regulations Team for insulation information. In general, ducts should extend from the outside face of the point of entry to the building right up to the point where the pipe enters the room containing the internal stop tap. The duct should then be sealed at both ends to prevent the ingress of contaminants. The minimum recommended duct diameter for a 25mm pipe is 100mm although a duct with as large a radius as possible should be used where the pipe changes direction.

8. Pipes must be insulated from the point where they pass through the outside face of the structure (e.g. wall or footings) through which they enter the building up to the point where they enter the room containing the internal stop tap. Ducts should, therefore, be of a sufficient diameter to allow for this.

9. Stones, bricks and other sharp objects should not be used as a backfill material for supply pipe trenches as leaks can be caused when sharp objects rub against the pipe. Pipes should be laid on 100mm bed of sand or stone dust, where ground conditions are such that the trench contains sharp objects. Such pipes should then also be backfilled with sand or stone dust up to a point that is 150mm above the crown of the pipe. The remainder of the backfill material can then be excavated material providing that any sharp objects are removed from it prior to use. In very poor ground conditions it may be necessary to duct the pipe through its length.

10. Supply pipes should where possible be laid solely within the boundary of the property they supply or failing that within the communal areas to which the owner of the property has a legal right of access. A prior agreement should be obtained from South Staffs Water where pipes are to be laid in any other location.

11. Supply pipes must be brought to the position that was agreed at the time of quotation, marked on the plan that was sent out. At least 1 metre of extra pipe should be left attached at the boundary of the development. Where developers have installed the communication pipe it should be laid along a straight line that is perpendicular to the main to which it is to be connected.

12. If a boundary box is to be used, the back edging and front kerb of any footpath must be fitted prior to the final inspection.

13. Where there are multiple supplies in the same trench, each one must be permanently marked to identify the property it supplies. On connection, if it is found that the supply has been marked incorrectly then a charge will be made to the developer for rectification required.

14. All supply pipes must be capped off to prevent any debris from getting into the pipework and causing potential damage to internal fittings.

15. Ideally, the plumbing in each property should be at second fix stage prior to the supply pipe inspection. Where this is not possible each service pipe must be blanked off within the premises with a stop tap. South Staffs Water will not be held responsible for any damage caused by failure to blank off any supplies.

16. Supplies to multiple properties (where permitted) must have a stop tap fitted prior to the point at which the supply divides, in a convenient location that all occupiers of the premises will have access to.