Work not done properly by Northumbrian water

[Maxim2245]

I had a new connection put in by Northumbrian water.

They dug up the road outside the building to connect the mains to my building.

The issue is that they or their contractors have not laid the road back down properly.

 

Bit of a background

- This is a city centre property so if you can imagine an old listed building with an pedestrian path outside the door and then the main road. Below the path is my basement. 

 

They installed the water meters on the road above where they connected the mains.

The water meters have sunk by around 4"" and all the tarmac around them has cracked leaving holes around the meters.

 

When it rains all the water from the main road is running into the huge cracks in the road and finding its way down to where the pipes enter into my basement.

every time it rains the basement gets quite a bit of water coming into it. 

 

This work was done at the start of January and I have been complaining to them since and they just keep on saying that the contractors will come and fix the road which they haven't done. 

 

The water is now causing major issues not to mention the smell and dampness in the basement which is used as a office by around 3 staff members. 

 

What should I do as they are not doing anything to fix the issue. 

[dx100uk]

are you indicating this on a public highway/path?

[Maxim2245]

Yes. Its a city centre road in Newcastle. So if you can imagine the main water pipes run in the middle of the road. They dug up the road and connected the pipes to my basement which is below the public footpath on the side of the road. 

[dx100uk]

go pull the councils chain then!!,

tell them their road is causing a leak and as YOU are responsible for the health and safety of your workforce and this is causing xxxx issues you'll soon be asking them to step in under H&S rules.

[Maxim2245]

Where would I even start with the council. It's impossible getting in touch with anyone there.  I paid Northumrian water to do the job. Do I have any legal rights on this matter? Can the water board just do a bad job and walk away? 

[dx100uk]

 

19 minutes ago, Maxim2245 said:

Can the water board just do a bad job and walk away? 

yep

 

20 minutes ago, Maxim2245 said:

Do I have any legal rights on this matter?

nope

 

but the council do.

 

 

[Maxim2245]

Just spoke with the council and they have advised that I need to take this up with the water board since they have done the job. 

[theberengersniper]

23 hours ago, Maxim2245 said:

Just spoke with the council and they have advised that I need to take this up with the water board since they have done the job. 

 

But it's the council who bear the responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of the road and pavement.

 

I would write to the council's Roads department, telling them what has happened, the location of the issue, the problems it's causing you both in terms of damage to your home and the health implications. Tell them that as they bear responsibility for the condition of the road, footpath and any damage caused through its state of disrepair, that you hold them responsible.

 

If they don't respond favourably to that, I suppose it's time to begin gathering engineer's reports about the cause of the issue, and quotations to remedy it. You can then begin the pre-action protocol and, ultimately, begin an action against them and the water board as joint defendant to have it sorted.

[stu007]

Hi

 

I have to agree with the above post

 

You need to make a Formal Complaint to the Councils Roads Department as they are legally responsible for the condition/maintenance of the Public Roads/Pavements and the buck stops with them irrespective it was a water companies private contractor that dug up the road then supposedly fixed it afterwards but done a shoddy job of it causing your property issues of water ingress.

 

Their Roads Department should be coming out to inspect this issue and then send the water company an enforcement notice to repair this road properly.

 

Where I live last November our entire road was dug up for Gas pipe replacement but outside my property when they re laid the road it was bad so complaint to councils roads dept who in turn came out looked and agreed the road needed re laid and gave the Gas Company 2 options, option 1 come out and carry out the work to re lay the road surface and inspection afterwards or option 2 Enforcement Notice issued. Gas Company took option 1 and done the work properly and council inspected work afterwards.

[dx100uk]

anyone that digs up a public highway needs the highways authority's written permission to do so and be a registered highways licenced contractor proving  'competency' from said authority that owns said highway before they ever pickup a shovel!!

 

if they don't carry out the works to the required standards, it's THAT authority that can enforce their rules.

 

 

[Maxim2245]

Thanks all. I will speak with the council again and log a compliant. 

[theberengersniper]

26 minutes ago, Maxim2245 said:

Thanks all. I will speak with the council again and log a compliant. 

 

Do it in writing, don't phone them. If you do end up having to pursue them for the cost of repair, the longer your paper trail is the better. You'll be able to show that you did your best to mitigate the costs for you and for them, but they've refused to engage with you.

 

When you do write to them, it wouldn't hurt to send a copy to the council's legal department too. That might spur them into action. If you do end up having to pursue them legally, it'll be their legal team you'll be dealing with anyway, so no harm in bringing it to their attention immediately.