How will our Mains Renewals affect you?
Loss of water supply
We will contact customers whose water supplies are likely to be interrupted. Generally these customers have properties adjacent (or nearby) to the road in which the water main is being replaced. Regrettably, there will be at least three occasions when it will be necessary to turn off the water supply:
To enable the new main to be connected to the existing water mains network – this will result in a loss of supply for between 2 and 8 hours.
To transfer your water service pipe from the old main to the new main – this element of work is generally carried out in less than 1 hour. The loss of supply will be about 15 minutes.
To disconnect the old main from the water mains network - this will result in a loss of supply for between 2 and 8 hours.
Prior to these planned interruptions we will notify the customer in writing 48 hours in advance of the ‘turn off’. When the water service pipe is to be transferred our contractor will call at the customers’ premises shortly before the work is to be carried out.
When your water supply is turned off, please:
do not use cold water taps
do not use household appliances such as washing machines, and dishwashers, which rely on a constant supply of water
do not use other devices running on mains water pressure
A correctly installed and maintained standard central heating system will operate safely during the period of interruption but combination boilers will not work and should not be used.
When your water supply is turned back on our contractor will call again. If you are not in and he suspects that a tap may be running or the supply pipe may have a leak, he is under instruction for safety reasons to turn off the ‘stopvalve’ controlling your supply. If you are unable to restore the supply yourself please contact us via Portsmouth Water 24 hours Operations Centre on 02392 477 999, who will arrange for the water to be restored.
The photo below shows an example of where your outside stop valve can be located.
Before using your tap water again, we recommend that you run the cold kitchen tap for a few minutes until the water runs clear. Do not use household appliances, especially the shower, dishwasher and washing machine, until the water runs clear.
If your water does not come back on, please firstly ask your neighbours whether their supply has been restored, and secondly check that your inside stop valve is fully open by turning it off and then on again.
The photo below shows an example of where your inside stop valve may be located.
Do not leave your kitchen tap open waiting for the supply to be restored, as this could cause flooding.
Access to Properties
Regrettably, as a customer whose property is adjacent to the water main it is inevitable that access to your property will be affected. It may be that it is not possible to park in the immediate vicinity during the working day, and, on occasions, overnight. Our contractor is under instruction to maintain access at all times when work is in progress immediately outside your home, however it may be necessary to temporarily block your entrance. In these circumstances the contractor will contact you beforehand in order that you may make suitable arrangements.
Disturbance
Construction work associated with laying water mains in the public highway will inevitably cause some inconvenience to our customers. We do have experience of this type of work and all of our staff will be working hard to minimise the impact of the work. If you have any specific concerns either now or during the construction work our site supervisory staff or office based staff will be pleased to assist you; please do not hesitate to contact us.
Traffic Management
The road works may affect residents’ journey time to and from home, whether they travel on foot or by car. Traffic management is key, and like other utility companies we have to agree beforehand with the local highway authority the duration of road occupation, the extent of signage, traffic light working, and diversionary routes. We appreciate that this may affect access to properties, car parking on the street, and journey times for motorists. We strive to complete our works in a way that minimises disruption to both our customers and other road users.
As identified previously it is necessary to pressure test and sterilise the new main following mainlaying as part of the commissioning process. During this period there is often little or no activity on site, a situation which some road users find frustrating.
If car parking is an issue we will place ‘No Waiting Cones’. This is to not only provide sufficient room for the mainlaying works to be undertaken, but also to minimise the risk of damage to cars which would otherwise be parked on the street.
Electrical Earthing
When the water mains are renewed the existing metal pipes will, in most cases, be replaced with plastic pipes. Very occasionally this affects the electrical earthing of properties; typically those properties not rewired since 1966. If you have any doubts about your electrical earth you must contact a qualified electrician. Portsmouth Water are not responsible for the provision of electrical earthing.