One external stopcock for three houses.

WaterTight · Dec 20, 2011

Did a job in a funny little road with lots of little town houses which look like mini cottages. Couldn't find internal stopcock. There were 3 external ones in a road of 7 or 8 houses. The one that turned off her water was at the end of the row, past another two houses which it presumably also turned off. I guess the houses could have been split up into separate buildings since the water supplies were run - but doesn't really look like it to me.

I wasn't sure what she should do so I told her to look everywhere she could for her internal stopcock and phone up water authority and enquire about why she doesn't have an external one but I'm guessing they may say the responsibility (cost) of having an external one installed lies with her? Do you have a right to one or is it more a case of if a house has been turned into two then it's the developer's responsibility to pay?

ADM360 · Dec 20, 2011

It was the norm back in the day for one supply to multiple properties. in fact round here you can fin some that do the whole cul-de-sac, or even on a ring with one service valve at both ends, so you turn one of only to find its back feed from the other end!! but i think you'll find the most suppliers will say that it is your resposability to get a seperate main put in!! they don't tlike doing to much!!

dontknowitall · Dec 20, 2011

If the customer's open to having a water meter this should solve the problem.

Joncpi · Dec 21, 2011

It is not at all unusual for older properties to have one external stopcock for several properties. You could get her to ask her nieghbours if they know where their internal stopcocks are. Also in some there is an additional "internal" stopcock that is actually outside in the ground adjacent to where the pipe comes into the property, say outside the kitchen in the back garden.