There’s two types of drainage and water searches available on the market: The CON29DW, and regulated (also known as personal) searches. Superficially the two types of report are quite similar but there’s a number of key differences between the two. So which should you buy? (Obviously since we produce the CON29DW, we have a vested interest here, but we’ll be as unbiased as possible).
The CON29DW is produced by or on behalf of the ten water and sewerage companies of England and Wales, and compiled entirely from their records. Regulated searches on the other hand are produced with minimal input from water companies.
Under sections 198 and 199 of the Water Industry Act (1991), public water and sewer records are available for inspection free of charge. By going into a water company office, search providers are able to produce copies (often by hand) of these records. More often than not, this is the extent of water company involvement in regulated searches.
The majority of additional information in regulated searches is either inferred from these plans (such as connection status), covered by insurance, or excluded all together. The CON29DW by contrast includes 25 questions, more than any other search, and all compiled from water company records.
The information in the CON29DW is more comprehensive, 100% drawn from official water company records, and fully indemnified against any errors. The downside of this is that the CON29DW is more expensive than regulated searches, which is why some solicitors choose the latter instead.
The table below shows a full comparison of the CON29DW and regulated searches.
| Question | CON29DW | Regulated drainage and water searches |
| General | ||
| Turnaround time | 97% within one working day | 4-5 days |
| Cover provided | Uncapped, and responsibility taken for errors in Severn Trent Water data | Capped, and liability rarely accepted for errors in third party data |
| Interpretation of search | Yes | Included on some searches |
| Guidance notes | Yes, written by water company experts | Included on some searches |
| Maps | ||
| Sewer map | Yes – official extract from water company records | Copied from water company records, often by hand |
| Water map | Yes – official extract from water company records | Copied from water company records, often by hand |
| Drainage | ||
| Foul water connection | Yes – from water company billing records | Either advises to contact vendor, is guessed from proximity of sewers or not included |
| Surface water connection | Yes – from water company billing records | Either advises to contact vendor, is guessed from proximity of sewers or not included |
| Sewer within boundary | Yes | Yes |
| Pumping station within boundary | Yes | New question, unknown |
| Sewer within 30.48 metres | Yes – measured from water company records | Yes – estimated |
| Pumping station within 50 metres | Yes | New question, unknown |
| Sewer adoption agreements | Yes | Based on inspection of sewer plans only or insured |
| Building over agreements | Yes | Usually covered by insurance |
| Risk of sewer flooding | Yes | Usually covered by insurance |
| Distance to treatment works | Yes | Usually covered by insurance |
| Water supply | ||
| Mains water connection | Yes – from water company billing records | Either advises to contact vendor, is guessed from proximity of mains or not included |
| Water mains within boundary | Yes | Yes |
| Water mains adoption agreements | Yes | Usually covered by insurance |
| Low water pressure | Yes | Usually covered by insurance |
| Water hardness | Yes | New question, unknown |
| Water meter location | Yes | Usually advises to contact vendor |
| Billing information | ||
| Sewerage undertaker | Yes – as per water company billing records | Yes (but not confirmed with water company) |
| Water supplier | Yes – as per water company billing records | Yes (but not confirmed with water company) |
| Billing for sewerage services | Yes – as per water company billing records | Yes (but not confirmed with water company) |
| Billing for water supply | Yes – as per water company billing records | Yes (but not confirmed with water company) |
| Basis of charging | Yes – as per water company billing records | Usually covered by insurance or general charging information included |
| Change in basis of charging | Yes – as per water company billing records | Usually covered by insurance |
Which search you go for ultimately boils down to what’s more important to you – cost vs peace of mind. The CON29DW isn’t the cheapest search out there, but we firmly believe it’s the best.
Compared to the cost of buying a house, £45 isn’t a lot to pay for the reassurance that you know about any potential drainage and water issues (which can run into thousands of pounds) upfront. For some people however, we’re aware cost is an issue. Alternatively, some people may not regard anything beyond the location of sewer and water mains as important. The choice is yours.