Non domestic water costs

[SEL]

I don't have mains water at my yard - we pump from a well. Pressure is so low filling buckets takes forever & I can never hose legs.

Thames Water might be coming down the road to sort out an issue with one of the cottages. I'd need that to happen first, but I have no idea what the annual cost of a water supply to an agricultural property / yard is.

Can anyone help? Approximate is fine.

 

[tda]

No idea on cost but you'd definitely be on a meter

 

[paddy555]

from what I understand you will have to lay the pipe in from the mains water supply ( the cottage) to your yard. Presumably your costs there will depend on distance and terrain, ie a bit of hand digging with a shovel for a couple of yards to digging the road up and presumably permission if you want to lay it over someone's land.
Then I think you get the standard water connection charge which seems to vary between water companies and possibly what it's for and how many properties. You may get some idea if you look at your suppliers site. Then it will be metered.

If that turns out to be too expensive have you considered a different way if you have water but are short of pressure? Presumably your pump is electric. Pump it up to a holding tank with a cut out switch for when it is full and then draw water from there. (via a pipe and tap)

 

[sport horse]

A few years ago we had to install a new supply to our property as the old iron pipe had rusted away. We had to get a waylease from a neighbouring farmer to cross his land, we had to pay his and our own legal costs and get a local farmer to trench in the pipe work to where the water company could connect. We then had to pay a connection charge. It was a lot of money (£1000s) but it is our home and yard etc.

We now pay a standing charge and metered water (always was metered as an old farm) and we are responsible for any leaks along the half mile of pipe - not only pipework but cost of any water leaking too). If your well has sufficinet water but is just slow, I think the best advice is from paddy555 to install a tank and ballcock to cut off supply when full and run a tap from the tank.

 

[meleeka]

Water itself is surprisingly cheap, it's the costs to install it. I had to dig the trench from the road to my land, then the water company put the pipe on. I'll try and find the receipts, but I think my 20ft or so cost about £1k to connect it all up.

This might be helpful. It might be worth having a look for your local authority for details

Water Connections Calculator | Anglian Water Services

If you are looking to build a new home we've put together some information and details of an indicative cost to help you plan your project.

www.anglianwater.co.uk

 

[YourValentine]

Rainwater tank off your stables? A large solid black one would meet you water needs, have good pressure etc and be considerably cheaper than putting in a mains water connection. Even if you have to prep a base for the tank to sit on.

And for all the hysteria here around Legionnaires, if you have a proper rainwater tank, not IBC and use it regularly the risk is basically non-existent. See all of rural Aus that's on Rainwater tanks not mains.

Of you do gobdown the mains route, be clear that its an "agricultural" connection and that it will drain into land not via storm drain/sewer as some of the standing changes for houses are for the disposal of water as well as its supply.

 

[meleeka]

Of you do gobdown the mains route, be clear that its an "agricultural" connection and that it will drain into land not via storm drain/sewer as some of the standing changes for houses are for the disposal of water as well as its supply.

That's correct. You don't pay wastewater charges.

I just checked. My water bill is around £15pm. That's for 3 ponies, plus other animals, numerous washing and tea/coffees.

 

[SEL]

That's correct. You don't pay wastewater charges.

I just checked. My water bill is around £15pm. That's for 3 ponies, plus other animals, numerous washing and tea/coffees.

Thanks - that's manageable as would be a few £k to dig/ connect.

We've got a tank (& rainwater capture) but the well - which was dug over 100 years ago - is at the top of our property where the underground spring is. The tank is elevated but the flow to both the tap up near it and the one in the yard is painfully slow.

I don't think the elevation is enough really but the tank is massive and not hugely accessible nowadays so limited as to what I can do there - I'd rather spend the money getting a mains supply. In the 2022 drought the water pulled off it was very sulphury and for the first time we wondered if it would run dry. I suspect more is being abstracted from the chalk in hot summers (although if the reservoirs aren't full after this winter they never will be!!)

Thanks to everyone who responded. It's only an option if the house over the road has the pipes brought down to it anyway. The owner said they'd need to dig up the road but given the size of the potholes we're halfway there I think Thames Water might be obliged to do something for them, so I'd just take advantage if they did.