Non-domestic installations

Non-domestic installations, repair and maintenance

The installation of a new plumbing system and the majority of alterations at a non-domestic premises must be notified to the water company before work begins. The water company must approve the proposed work before it is started.

A notable exception to this is repair and maintenance. Localised repairs such as fixing leaks, and routine maintenance such as de-scaling are carried out without notification. However, any works must be in accordance with the Water Regulations and any other legislation concerning the type of work carried out.

In addition, certain minor modifications do not require notification. Typical examples would include the relocation of a water fitting which involves "minimum alteration" of pipework. This "minimum alteration" must not require the alteration of pipework over a length of more than 3 metres and must be carried out in accordance with the Water Regulations and any other applicable legislation.

For a complete list of notifiable works, visit the Notification section or see Regulation 5.

If you have any doubt about the work that you intend to carry out, we recommend that you use a plumber approved under a water industry approved scheme. These plumbers are assessed for their skills and knowledge of the trade and will provide you with a certificate of compliance to the Water Regulations for any work that they carry out. For more information go to the Approved installers section.

After you have completed your installation, we may inspect the works to ensure compliance with the Water Regulations. If there are any areas of concern, we will advise you of these and offer suggestions for corrective action. This process is carried out in line with our enforcement process. For more information go to the Our enforcement role section.

In addition, Essex & Suffolk Water have a dedicated team of Water Regulations personnel, who will be pleased to advise you on the correct way to install or modify plumbing fittings. We can also advise on techniques and products which may enable you to reduce water use consumption. However, this advice can only be concerned with the specific requirements of the Water Regulations and will not usually cover other design issues.

We are able to offer many other opportunities via our Pipeline Solutions team. We should point out that there are other suppliers of such services available, and that you are not obliged to use Essex & Suffolk Water’s Pipeline Solutions.

For further assistance, including copies of our information sheets covering several common topics, please contact the water regulations team.

We strongly recommend that you check the suitability of fittings before you buy them. This can be done by looking for evidence of approval by WRAS (the water Regulations Advisory Service) who can also be contacted by visiting their website at www.wras.co.uk.