Moving water meter on lead pipe

[Steve]

Were having an extension built on the back of the house. The foundations are exactly where the water meter chamber is. So the meter needs moving. A few years ago we had it all excavated to allow us to replace the lead entering the house with mdpe.

We're on a shared water main. Nobody else is bothered about replacing the lead pipework - frankly I find it ridiculous that the water boards expect 4 neighbours to agree to having their gardens trashed at the same time, and pay to replace the lead. The main lead pipe runs parallel with the back of the existing house, about 2ft away, then tees off to our meter chamber against the house wall. I need to blank off the tee then about 2ft along the main pipe insert a new tee.

Where the existing tee is, will be filled with concrete. Should this be shuttered off from the concrete?

How easy is it for a competent diyer to work with lead and mdpe? Would it be wise to employ a plumber to do this work?

How would I go about blanking off the lead tee? Leave a stub and hammer/melt it flat? Or put a plastic lead stop end on?

What is the best way to create a new tee on the main? Two lead to mdpe fittings and two bits of mdpe with a tee in the middle?

 

[Exedon]

Lead pipe is easy enough to connect to with correct adapter I prefer brass leadlock's to plastic fittings.
Just to be clear the existing service will not run under your proposed extension?

 

[Steve]

The shared main will continue under the new extension to my neighbours. It then goes under their extension, all in lead.

 

[Exedon]

I very much doubt you will get that one past building inspector.
I've moved many in past,
Plus why on earth would you leave a ancient pipe under your property.
Lead services do leak!

 

[Steve]

I very much doubt you will get that one past building inspector.
I've moved many in past,
Plus why on earth would you leave a ancient pipe under your property.
Lead services do leak!

The pipe where it goes under my new extension only supplies my adjoining neighbour as far as I know. Between our two extensions will be a gap approx 150mm. If I were to replace the pipe under our extension that would leave a joint - a weak point - in that 150mm gap. I'd rather not have that. If the lead does leak in the future I would replace it around the extension and refeed their house through their downstairs toilet in their extension.

How could I appease building control regarding the foundation concrete around the pipe? There is also a concrete encased clay drain pipe running parallel with the water main that I believe they're putting a lintel over.

Thanks.

 

[Munroast]

i wouldn't want my drinking water coming through a lead pipe, are you in a hard or soft water area?

are you or any of your neighbours disposed to acts of extreme violence - seriously there is a link

 

[Steve]

i wouldn't want my drinking water coming through a lead pipe, are you in a hard or soft water area?

are you or any of your neighbours disposed to acts of extreme violence - seriously there is a link

The water is fairly hard. But no, no extreme violence. Back to the subject...

See attached diagram. The purple shows next doors extension. The blue shows our proposed extensions - front and back. The yellow is the proposed branch from the blue lead pipe. Clearly if I were to replace the whole pipe to the pavement it's gonna get costly, and the extension is maxing our budget out as it stands. And would we be obliged to also replace our neighbors pipes on the same main going right? Or could I just put a lead connector on there and leave theirs in situ? I believe the main runs under next doors side alley to get to the front - the pavement stop tap is over to his side. So I might be faced with digging his path up? He's in his late 80s and I'd rather not do this!

It's a crap situation!

 

[Munroast]

probably not so bad if you have hard water, I believe that coats everything with limescale and will help limit lead leaching into the tap water. still far from ideal.

is the whole pipe from the street lead ? it would be very costly getting all that dug out and replaced and trying to do it with neighbours would be a nightmare - goodluck

 

[Exedon]

Cost should not be great we have always moved them as footings are dug so just the cost of a length of mdpe.
What happens under your neighbours is not your problem.