Self-lay group slams water industry pipe adoption plans

The Fair Water Connections (FWC) group, which represents self-lay providers, has criticised water industry proposals on adopting pipework laid by third parties for being out of kilter with Ofwat’s requirements.

It argued that under Ofwat’s Adoption Code (published 2017 and revised in 2018), which sets a framework for water companies to introduce standardised arrangements for pipework adoption, water companies need to put in place adoption proposals that are broadly satisfactory to developer services customers including self lay providers.

FWC said it had learned that through Water UK, firms intended to “press ahead with new adoption proposals even though SLPs have told them that they are unsatisfactory and do not provide the cross company standardisation and delivery certainty which are core Ofwat Code requirements”.

Head of FWC, Martyn Speight (pictured), commented: “We are dismayed by this situation and the further, now inevitable, delays whilst Ofwat (hopefully) realise, and resolve, the many shortcomings in what companies are proposing”. He added FWC had written to water company regulatory directors “asking them to recognise that what Water UK has produced on their behalf is unsatisfactory and offering to work with them on completing proposals which fully comply with the Ofwat Code”.