Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jul 07, 2008 4:53 pm Okay here is our situation, would appreciate any thoughts:
We are first home buyers building in an estate, our block is vacant, we are still waiting for building licence (should be this week hopefully). Noticed about 3 weeks ago a water meter was installed on our block. A tap was also installed with a star picket. About a week after, noticed block next door being prepped for a slab. They had no water meter or tap installed. This weekend, noticed our water meter has been used (it says 351, not sure if that is litres or not) and is covered in cement etc, and the water meter for next door (with new slab) has just been installed and is brand new and is set to 0. There is no tap on it so they will probably keep using ours, hopefully they will remove the tap on ours and put it on their water meter. Our builder did not put the tap on our water meter, they said the Water Corp come and do the water meter when the building licence is issued, so I think they installed it on our block in error and it was meant for next door. Is there anything we can do or is it just a case of grinning and bearing it while they use our water? Thanks in advance for any help! Very useful forum I have been doing a lot of reading! Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 2Jul 07, 2008 5:11 pm I'd talk to you future water supplier about it....it's probably a common issue which they chase.....sign a Stat Dec to say it's not your usage....I'm sure there's a way around it. mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 5Jul 07, 2008 10:03 pm We're rebuilding in an established suburb. Sometime after demolition (long delay, long story...) our water meter, which we'd left in place, went walkies. In the meantime, our builders had used the tap which was left behind (without meter) to pour the footings.
This was spotted by SE Water, who wrote saying we'd be up for the cost of a new meter. Spoke to them, sent in a stat dec saying it had been stolen, and they supplied a new one for us. So, I reckon a stat dec should get you off the hook for this as well... I guess God didn't use subbies... Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 6Jul 08, 2008 9:10 am MrT We're rebuilding in an established suburb. Sometime after demolition (long delay, long story...) our water meter, which we'd left in place, went walkies. In the meantime, our builders had used the tap which was left behind (without meter) to pour the footings. This was spotted by SE Water, who wrote saying we'd be up for the cost of a new meter. Spoke to them, sent in a stat dec saying it had been stolen, and they supplied a new one for us. So, I reckon a stat dec should get you off the hook for this as well... A simular story When we built , the water company installed a meter with a length of copper pipe crimped of at the end......so nobody could get ant water out of it until connected to the house (yes I know thats stupid). When the slab was poured they needed water so the builders disconected the meter and attached a hose. The meter was laying on the ground next to the meter for some 8 weeks or so....then it disappeared...at final handover,no water, so the builders SS said "no problem" meter was arranged and attached...some weeks later we received a bill from SA Water.......WTF. We sent bill to builder pointing out that they lost it by disconnecting it...they can pay for it...and they did.. Best Price Wardrobes Sliding door robes | Walk in robes Deco panel | Mirror | Melamine 26 to 28 Cottage lane Hackham M: 0402 927 376 http://www.bestpricewardrobes.com.au Trade welcome Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 8Jul 08, 2008 11:55 pm I feel your pain. i'm going through the same issue myself. We are only just starting but the houses around us are muh further ahead. When we visited our block one day we noticed that all of the meters and taps had been stolen.
We thought we would ring up the water corp ourselves and request a new one. Once we had it fitted all the building companies around us have been using our water. We called the water corp and they said there was nothing they could do about it they said that it was theft and we should call the police. They said that because it passed through our meter we would still have to pay it. We spoke to the building company and they told us it wouldn't cost much and that we are being petty. We worked out so far its cost us about $80. I went up there the other day and bumped into my slab supervisor, we spotted the builder next door had his hose hooked up to our tap so we asked him to remove it and reported it to the building company. They were very unhelpful and said to write to their management if we wanted to complain. Problem is that a few different builders have been using it so how do we prove who has used what? It really makes me angry that these lazy b**ards instead of getting the taps replaced will use my water instead. Lloyd Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 9Jul 08, 2008 11:56 pm _Al_ Oh my goodness....they're going to bleed you dry......especially as it's probably costing you around $1.0052 per kilolitre. That's 35cents you're never going to see again...... it will cost alot more than that, its theft, and is not the damn point either! Lloyd Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 10Jul 14, 2008 11:42 am Okay a bit of an update -
Went down for a look on the weekend, next door's brickwork has started, our meter still has a tap on it. Our meter reads around 4500, theirs reads 0. Contacted the Water Corp, they told me that I need to make a police report as it is theft. Waiting for the police to call me back. Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 11Jul 14, 2008 11:53 am ampy Okay a bit of an update - Went down for a look on the weekend, next door's brickwork has started, our meter still has a tap on it. Our meter reads around 4500, theirs reads 0. Contacted the Water Corp, they told me that I need to make a police report as it is theft. Waiting for the police to call me back. Simple, send the the builder an account for water use. Best Price Wardrobes Sliding door robes | Walk in robes Deco panel | Mirror | Melamine 26 to 28 Cottage lane Hackham M: 0402 927 376 http://www.bestpricewardrobes.com.au Trade welcome Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 12Jul 14, 2008 12:14 pm Turn off the water to both houses & swap the meters over Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 13Jul 15, 2008 1:20 pm We installed a tap lock on ours as the neighbour's builders were also stealing our water.
We got it from Reece and cost about $15-20 or so. I can't recall the exact name of it but if you speak to someone who works there and tell them your situation they'll know what to recommend. [sneakersss] Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 15Jul 15, 2008 2:21 pm Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅
T: +61 (08) 9456 5888 F: +61 (08) 9456 5855 E: info@westcoastpoly.com.au 7 Uppsala Place, Canning Vale 6155, Western Australia. I brought a diiferent one to this but cant find a picture atm Even if you install a lockable tap, there is nothing to stop them from unscrewing it and using your water Best Price Wardrobes Sliding door robes | Walk in robes Deco panel | Mirror | Melamine 26 to 28 Cottage lane Hackham M: 0402 927 376 http://www.bestpricewardrobes.com.au Trade welcome Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 16Jul 15, 2008 4:59 pm d@n You got a pic of the tap lock?. I went looking for one in bunnings but they had nothing. sorry, i've looked but i can't find a pic. we first went to bunnings, too, and they didn't have any so they told us to try reece. it's not like the one Kevin Brown posted either. basically you buy two parts - you remove the actual tap bit (the one that turns on the water) put something in place of that. and you have this key sort of thing that fits nicely into the new thing you put in place of the actual tap bit. i'm sorry if that doesn't make sense but that's the best i can describe it. if i get a chance tonight i'll take a pic for you. [sneakersss] Re: Builders on block next door using our water.... 17Jul 15, 2008 5:15 pm YSSIM d@n You got a pic of the tap lock?. I went looking for one in bunnings but they had nothing. sorry, i've looked but i can't find a pic. we first went to bunnings, too, and they didn't have any so they told us to try reece. it's not like the one Kevin Brown posted either. basically you buy two parts - you remove the actual tap bit (the one that turns on the water) put something in place of that. and you have this key sort of thing that fits nicely into the new thing you put in place of the actual tap bit. i'm sorry if that doesn't make sense but that's the best i can describe it. if i get a chance tonight i'll take a pic for you. That sounds like the one I used before They normally use them in public places to stop the public turning the water on or off Best Price Wardrobes Sliding door robes | Walk in robes Deco panel | Mirror | Melamine 26 to 28 Cottage lane Hackham M: 0402 927 376 http://www.bestpricewardrobes.com.au Trade welcome i imagine you also have another contract with an architect? and yeah, whatever other's said about special conditions and appendices 16 16007 Broker here - legislation says that every true broker must put the clients best interests before theirs so in theory they must offer you the best options for you on their… 2 46013 Hi all I am looking to run a water line under my concrete footpath which is directly next to my home, was seeing if this is possible without cutting the entire section… 0 20180 |