Hire standpipes / Report illegal use
From 1st October 2016 the process to hire standpipes for use within the Welsh Water network has changed.
Hire a Standpipe
The hire of a standpipes will be from our appointed agent Aquam Water Services. Standpipes will no longer be available to hire at our local depots.
Important information to note
The use of anything other than a standpipe that you have hired from us is illegal, contravenes the Water Industry Act and is considered a theft of water which if caught will lead to prosecution.
The use of a standpipe without a non return – check valve also poses a risk of contamination of the water supply.
You may come across areas of our network that are locked off. These are for reasons of protecting our customers from the impact of higher flows created by third party use and a possibility of discoloured water. If you come across one of these please contact our third party provider Aquam Water Services for further advice.
If you require a standpipe for the purposes of providing water to a construction site (Building Supply) we may require you to obtain connection onto our network. Please contact our Developer Services.
Be a Hydrant Hero
Help keep our water clean and safe
What's the problem?
We have a lot of problems with people using standpipes to illegally connect to our water network, usually by connecting through washouts or fire hydrants.
This isn’t a case of people just ‘taking’ a bit of a plentiful water supply. These people are not trained, it’s dangerous to them, and to our customers. It can cause injury, bursts, risk water quality, discolour the water supply and cause customers complaints.
How do I know if it's a legal connection?
| Illegal Use | Legal Use |
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Spotting illegal use The standpipe isn't red |
Seeing red? That's actually good. Bright red is the colour of the new legal standpipes. |
Ok, I think it may be an illegal connection, what should I do?
If you spot somebody who you think might be illegally connecting to our network, you should:
- Take note of the location and any observations that will assist Aquam i.e. type, size, colour of vehicle or if the vehicle is branded. Pictures of the standpipe would also help but only do this if it’s safe to do so.
- Contact Aquam on 01792 346557 or e-mail welshwater@waterservicesltd.com
- Aquam will then investigate