New connections

Getting new customers connected to a water supply isn’t as easy as it sounds and we know it is something that constituents contact MSPs about.

We receive around 60 applications for new connections every week, and of these around 65 per cent fail because they are incorrectly completed. We want to help customers avoid some of the cost, hassle and frustration that can be part and parcel of the process, so we’re constantly looking at how we can help shoulder the burden.

MSPs can also help, however, by ensuring that constituents requiring a new water or waste water connection contact a licensed supplier like Business Stream to receive the proper advice on how to navigate the application process.

There’s no denying it’s a complex process; under the current system customers have to liaise with their licensed provider, who in turn deals directly with Scottish Water, the ultimate decision maker on whether or not an application is made. It can take between two and three months for a new connection to be approved.

Before that can happen, though, customers have to ensure they have the correct drawings drafted, have established the correct pipework to be put in place, have obtained the appropriate permissions, and completed various other steps. In most cases, the customer will be liable for costs associated with these, although some subsidies are available.

One common problem is that a customer lays the wrong pipes, at their own expense, only to discover they have to rip them up and start again. That can be because the material used doesn’t meet Scotland’s stringent health requirements for its water network, or because the pipework isn’t big enough to handle the building’s water demands, which could reduce water supply pressure in neighbouring properties.

Our team of new connections experts are on hand to guide customers through the process and help them anticipate and proactively resolve any issues which might delay the progress of their application.

It’s also common that a customer will have to make at least three applications: one for a permanent, metered water supply; one for waste water and sewage; and another for building water or a temporary connection (for the water used during the construction phase). Scottish Water has to ensure the country’s water infrastructure is able to cope with the water demands of the property, and it’s worth noting that it’s only once the customer has accepted their quote that capacity on the network is reserved.

We want to help customers get through the process as smoothly as they can. Further information can be found on our website, but please do encourage your constituents to get in touch with our new connections team as early as possible – they can be contacted by phoning 0845 602 8855.

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