I have received a search reporting that the property is connected for a service but is not billed for the service. Why is this?

There are occasions when there are reliable records held by Severn Trent Water other than the billing records that indicate to us that a property will be connected for a service despite the fact that the property may not currently be being billed for that service. On these occasions we will answer the Search as connected for services even though  charges may not currently be being raised. Alternative records used could be such things as reports from Severn Trent Water inspectors, previous billing history, developer information and completed connection applications and approvals.

The CON29DW Explained – water pressure

Our series examining the CON29DW looks at water pressure.

Question 3.4 of the CON29DW asks “Is the property at risk of receiving low water pressure or flow?” While the question is unlikely to be one of those which can have costly ramifications, water pressure is something that can greatly impact an owner’s enjoyment of their home, and it is included for that reason.
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How do you determine if a residential property drains to the public sewer system? Do you inspect properties?

In our search report we report on the connection status of a residential property to the water and sewerage systems based on checking the current billing records held by the responsible water or sewerage company for that property. This is generally the method used to determine the connection status for Residential CON29DW searches as it is considered reasonable to assume that if a property is billed for a service then it can be considered likely to be connected for that service.

The CON29DW explained – water adoption agreements

Our series on issues raised by the CON29DW looks at a one of the rarer situations raised by the search:

One of the more curious questions in the CON29DW is 3.3, which asks “Is any water main or service pipe serving, or which is proposed to serve the property, the subject of an existing adoption agreement or an application for such an agreement?”
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If South Staffs Water is responsible for billing for water and sewerage services in my area why don’t their plans show their public sewers?

South Staffs Water is a water only company, responsible solely for providing drinking water to their customers. They have no responsibility for providing sewerage services.  Severn Trent Water is the responsible sewerage undertaker in this area. As such, South Staffs Water plans contain only their water assets and public mains water pipes and Severn Trent Water provide separate plans showing the public sewers in the area. However, because South Staffs is required to bill the property for water services they also bill for sewerage services on behalf of Severn Trent Water.