07852 780113
ChilternWater Services

Water main replacement

Water main replacement, from the boundary to the kitchen tap.

If your supply pipe keeps leaking, is made of lead or old alkathene, or is too small to give you decent pressure, replacing it outright is usually better money than another repair.

We run a new blue MDPE supply pipe from the boundary stop tap or meter to your internal stop tap, at the depth the water regulations ask for, by trench or by mole depending on what is in the way. Most replacements are done in a day.

07852 780113Get a quote
5.033 Google reviews
A trench running the length of a shared driveway with the spoil banked neatly alongside it

How a replacement runs

One new pipe, laid once, laid right

A supply pipe goes in the ground for fifty years. It is worth the extra hour to get the depth right, the joints right and the entry into the house right, so nobody has to dig it up again.

  • New MDPE pipe, sized for your house
  • Laid at a minimum 750mm cover
  • Trench or mole, whichever does less damage
  • Ducted and lagged where it enters the house
  • New stop tap where needed
  • Approved installer, so the water company accepts the work

Water main replacement

Trench or mole

Across an open lawn or a border, a narrow trench is often quickest. The turf is cut and lifted, the pipe goes in at depth, and the turf goes back down on top.

Under a drive, a path or anything you would rather not lose, we mole the pipe through instead. Two small pits, one at each end, and nothing disturbed between them.

A long narrow trench beside a garden fence with new blue pipe laid in the bottom and a micro digger at the far end

Water main replacement

Into the house

The new pipe comes up into the property through a duct, insulated where it rises above ground, and connects to a new internal stop tap if the old one is past it. The old pipe is disconnected and capped so it can never be mistaken for the live one.

New blue supply pipe rising out of a pit beside a rendered house wall, ready to enter the building

Water main replacement

At the boundary

At the other end we connect to the water company’s side at the meter or the boundary stop tap. As an approved installer, Craig can self-certify the work, which keeps it simple when the water company needs to be notified.

A trench cut through a lawn with a new stop tap fitting and boundary box set in at one end

In full

Water main replacement covers

Homes and commercial properties across South Bucks and the Chilterns.

  • Full supply pipe replacement
  • Lead and alkathene pipe replaced
  • MDPE pipe sized for your demand
  • Trench and moling installs
  • New internal and external stop taps
  • Meter and boundary box connections
  • Shared supplies split
  • Work self-certified as an approved installer
  • Ground reinstated

Reviews

What customers said

“Really great work from Craig and the team at Chiltern Water Services. He did all the tough work then put everything back how it was afterwards. Efficient, reliable and friendly. And we are finally shot of our old lead pipes. Thanks Craig!”
Gareth B.Google review
“Incredibly efficient company headed by Craig and Pete! They replaced a lead water mains today and I was so impressed I had to immediately write a glowing review!”
Linda S.Google review
“Craig and his team managed to install a new main water line in a day’s work - easily the best quote and provided a fantastic service.”
Keith H.Google review

On site

Photographed on the job

A long narrow trench beside a garden fence with new blue pipe laid in the bottom and a micro digger at the far end
A trench running the length of a shared driveway with the spoil banked neatly alongside it
A trench cut through a lawn with a new stop tap fitting and boundary box set in at one end
New blue supply pipe rising out of a pit beside a rendered house wall, ready to enter the building
New blue water pipe snaking along a trench through a gravel path, lined with membrane
A trench along a garden border beside a low brick wall, new blue pipe laid along the bottom

Questions

Water main replacement: common questions

How do I know I need my water main replaced?

Repeated leaks, a lead or old black alkathene pipe, poor pressure that is not the water company’s fault, or a shared supply you want separated. If you are not sure what you have, we can usually tell by looking at the pipe where it comes in by the internal stop tap.

How long does it take to replace a water main?

A typical house is done in a day, ground and all. Longer runs or awkward routes can take two.

Will my water supply be interrupted?

Only for the changeover at the end, which is normally an hour or two. The new pipe is laid and tested while the old one is still in use.

Water main replacement near you

We also do

Leak detectionUnderground leaks found with tracer gas and listening kit, before anything gets dug.Water main repairsLeaking supply pipes dug out, repaired, pressure tested and put back. Most done in a day.Lead pipe replacementOld lead supply pipes taken out of service and replaced with new MDPE pipe.MolingNew pipe pushed under drives, lawns and paths with no trench. Two small pits, no mess.Emergency repairsBurst supply pipes and flooding leaks. Ring, and we will get to you as fast as we can.New supplies & reroutingNew water supplies, shared supplies split, and pipes moved for extensions and new builds.Low pressure & upgradesWeak flow fixed at the source, with supply pipes upsized for bigger houses and new bathrooms.

Next step

Get a price for water main replacement

Tell us what you are seeing and roughly where you are. Craig will come and look, and give you a clear price before anything is dug.

Send us the details

Tell us what you are seeing and roughly where you are. A photo of the meter or the wet patch can follow by email.

Or ring 07852 780113. Craig answers it himself.