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These page will cover the following

  • South West Water’s principles we adhere to when exercising land entry rights over your land, including timeframes and statutory powers explained.
  • Our Code of Practice – this explains the process of pipelaying and other necessary works that might take place on your land and the methods around this.
  • The requirements South West Water have, and any restrictions pre, during or post works that may incur onto you. Contractor restrictions and any other individuals who you have authorised relating to our entry onto your land and/or the pipes that may cross it.
  • A guide to tree planting near our pipes.

If you're a developer, please access further information via our developer services webpage.

Know what’s below

Millions of holes are dug everyday across the UK, but many people still fail to check before they start digging – make sure you won’t be damaging or bursting one of our pipes – it could be your water!

We have 18,000km of underground water pipes. Naturally, there's a consistent threat that these are at risk of damage from diggers, whether this is by a JCB or a shovel. We ask that in order to avoid damaging your land, our pipes, and the local community, you have taken the appropriate precautions. The water in these pipes are under extreme pressure and so it is likely that injury may be caused to whomever damages it, as well as the ground surrounded. We also will lose a huge quantity of water in certain pipes, disrupt the pathway and who it is delivered to.

Equally, the cost of repairs, fees and fines can be significant depending on the damage, and therefore will cause lengthy delays to your own project on the land. Therefore, please make sure to double check before you dig.

What do you need to be aware of?

  • Routine agricultural activities, including ploughing (up to 0.5m depth), are permitted as always, unless there has been a reduction in ground cover, in which case, please notify us of significant changes.

  • You must always contact South West Water before you erect any gate posts or fencing that may be deeper than 0.5m.

  • Materials which are of significant weight should not be stored, stacked or held above water pipelines or air valves.

  • Ground cover shouldn’t be either increased or reduced.
  • Although mapping the pipelines provide a route, it must only be used as a guide, and therefore, every effort must be made in order to confirm an exact location of the pipelines prior to using machinery near water assets.

  • Easements – please acquire written approval from us before planting any foliage on the land/strip above a water pipeline.

  • Please note that our pipelines do change direction and therefore do not always run in straight lines.  

  • We offer a free service to help you navigate our pipelines, in which a technician will visit your site or order to mark out the pipeline and therefore advise what works can and cannot be done safely.  

Please note: You are not permitted to work within a 2.5 meter radius of any public water main. However if the asset or pipeline requires further protection, this distance may increase. Please refer to the table for further information. It is imperative for South West Water to maintain unrestricted access in order to carry out repairs, and maintain or renew the pipeline as and when required. If you, or you become aware of a proposal to construct, or develop closer to our water mains than the stated criteria below, it is a necessary expectation that you will be required to pay for the water main to be diverted.

 

Diameter of water main Minimum distance from centreline of the pipe to structure
<169mm 2.5m

>170mm to <229mm

 3m
>300m to <449mm 4m
>450m to <649mm 5m
>680mm 6m

Useful documents