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Whether you are building your dream property, renovating an existing house, or you have issues with your current water supply, you may be considering water supply pipe installation. In this guide, Watermains & Drains UK will reveal everything you need to know.

Considerations for water supply pipe installation

There is a lot that needs to be considered when it comes to laying new water supply pipes. This is why it is important to work with professional plumbers for a task like this.

All of the fittings and materials used must comply with the 1999 Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations.

Here are some of the different elements that need to be carefully considered:

• Trenches – Ideally, the trench needs to be lined and the pipes should be covered with soft earth or sand – not sharp rubble. There should not be any open ends left to stop the ingress of contaminants. All of the pipework also needs to be laid in the trench and installed by a WaterSafe approved contractor before the backfilling, otherwise, you won’t get the approval that is needed to connect.
• Choosing suitable materials – Next, it is vital that you assess the ground conditions before water supply pipe materials are selected. After all, the overall environment is going to play a huge role in determining which pipes are the most suitable Medium Density Polyethene (MDPE) is one of the most commonly used pipe materials, and it complies with BS6572. Nevertheless, some chemicals like creosote, petrol, or oil can permeate MDPE supply pipes, which poses a risk in terms of the quality of the water. So-called ‘barrier’ pipes and suitable fittings need to be used if the ground is contaminated with these chemicals via spillage or storage.
• Pressure testing – It is best practice to ensure the private supply pipe is laid in a manner that avoids joints. Where such joints are unavoidable, the installation needs to be a pressure test and it also needs to be disinfected before there is any connection to the water mains. For both external and internal pipework, the test pressure for any pipe needs to be 1.5 times the maximum working pressure that any fitting or pipe is subjected to. After any pressure test, you must disinfect the pipes, and analytical testing needs to be used to support this. Again, this all shows why it is imperative to work with seasoned and approved professionals when it comes to this.
• Barrier pipe – A barrier pipe is a pipe that has been reinforced for the purpose of protecting water supplies against other kinds of contaminants that can permeate standard MDPE pipes and put our water supply at great risk. There are a number of different kinds of barrier pipes available for people, including multi-layer plastic with a metal layer, plastic-coated copper, and ductile iron. It is imperative to make sure that the barrier pipe is compliant with BS 8588.

As you can see, there is a lot that needs to be considered when it comes to water supply pipe installation. We hope that this has helped you to get a better understanding of the key areas of consideration when it comes to installing water supply pipes at any property.

Why should you change old water supply pipes?

If the plumbing in your building is old, it probably has water pipes that have been made from iron or lead. If the latter is the case, they definitely need to be replaced.

Lead pipes have highly corrosive and toxic elements that leak into the drinking water system of the property, which can have a negative impact on your health and potentially even result in death. So, if you have lead pipes on your property, replacement is something that is required urgently.

In terms of iron pipes, as time goes on, they will rust and corrode, minimizing their effectiveness, which is why a replacement should also be considered.

Final words on water supply pipes installation

So there you have it: everything that you need to know about water supply pipes installation. We hope that this has helped you to get a better understanding of the process of installing new pipes and changing ones that no longer serve their purpose effectively. If you have any queries or you are ready to make the most of this service, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Watermains & Drains UK today.