Water supply hardware, accountability?

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ebbnflow
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Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby ebbnflow » Tue Jun 30, 2015 1:54 pm

I may be wrong here in my English thinking not matching that of Spain but;

We had our private water supply company come around (Aqualia) wanting to change the water meter, on the "engineers" attempt to do so he said our shut off valve, immediately before the meter (valve and meter located in our wall with direct to street access), was faulty and therefore he couldn't change the meter.

I suggested he changed the valve as well to complete his work. He replied the valve was my responsibility to change, not that of Aqualia. It was my assumption that anything before the meter would be accountable to Aqualia, am I right or wrong?

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country boy
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby country boy » Tue Jun 30, 2015 1:57 pm

You are correct, their problem!

ebbnflow
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby ebbnflow » Tue Jun 30, 2015 2:04 pm

That was quick!

I need to go to their office anyway so I'll give them a little prod while I'm there.

Thanks

olive
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby olive » Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:17 pm

Well here is wishing you luck.

Hopefully it won't be like the loacl mains electric distribution via dodgy poles, 35 year old cable etc where you might reasonably think it was Endesas responsibility.

BENIDORM
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby BENIDORM » Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:25 pm

We had the same problem some years ago and the water company replaced piping ,valve and meter with no charge.
The cost of a valve isn't that expensive, so I'm surprised that they would be so fussy..
Good Luck !

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Gordon

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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby Nimrod » Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:59 pm

He probably couldn't be a**ed to change it.
Getting hot there now I take it.

ebbnflow
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby ebbnflow » Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:48 pm

Well I tried but the office backed their engineer, unsurprisingly.

Their excuse was that the valve in question is the last to supply the building and is, therefore, the "llave de paso" which they claim is my responsibility.

ebbnflow
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby ebbnflow » Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:05 pm

....just been trawling some Spanish forums on the subject (admittedly my Spanish is far from perfect) that are agreeing that "llave de paso" is the end users responsibility.

In the case of a block of flats all the valves are the responsibility of the building's community until the last one for each flat, which is again down to the end user...

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country boy
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby country boy » Thu Jul 02, 2015 2:31 pm

Total Cr**p. You should ask the question...If this valve is letting- by, who is being damaged...it certainly isn't the consumer therefore it is the water company's responsibilty, it is the only way they can cut you off if , for instance, you don't pay their bills! It is their isolator, If it was yours you could take it away and water would pour out :lol:
It just occurs to me, I am assuming that you are connected to the live main and not a sub-main?

ebbnflow
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby ebbnflow » Thu Jul 02, 2015 6:13 pm

Hi cb,

I understand what you are saying and personaly would agree under UK thinking. It seems logical that in the case of a leak before the meter, thus unmeasureable, that it would be the water companies domian. However, this is Spain.

It would seem, especially with private water co.s, that their responsibility finishes in the street with the underground valve to the property, this is the one they use to cut you off if you've not paid them.

I've spoken to several of my Spanish neighbours today about this and they agree that the llave de paso is down to the final user, in fact one is in the same boat as me so it looks like we're going to share a plumber!

I suspect that those who pay the town hall for their water may be better off under this circumstance?

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peteroldracer
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby peteroldracer » Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:44 am

The OP gets my vote for "most appropriate alias"....
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.

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country boy
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Re: Water supply hardware, accountability?

Postby country boy » Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:29 am

ebbnflow wrote: Hi cb,

It would seem, especially with private water co.s, that their responsibility finishes in the street with the underground valve to the property, this is the one they use to cut you off if you've not paid them.
AH well, if they have a valve in the street to your property then you are on a sub-main; the valve equipment to your meter is your responsibilty . For the majority in our area we are connected to the live main and they have to turn the entire network off to isolate one meter. In England we have freezing equipment to stop off a live pipe for urgent repairs/maintenance but the technology hasn't arrived here yet...bless!


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