Self-Lay


Traditionally water companies have installed all mains and connected up all service pipes. While developers can still choose to requisition mains and service connections from us, they can also now employ a Self-Lay Provider (SLP) to lay and connect mains and services. Upon completion of the work, we will then normally adopt the mains that have been installed by the SLP from the developer.


Benefits of Self-Lay

 

Developers can find self-lay beneficial because:

 

  • They may be able to employ a single contractor to install the water, gas and electricity infrastructure;
  • It may work out cheaper to Self-Lay than requisition, and
  • Self-Lay Providers (SLPs) may be able to offer more flexibility in relation to the timing of the required works.
Self-Lay or requisition?

 

If you are trying to decide whether to Self-Lay or requisition mains, please submit a preliminary mains enquiry and we will provide cost information on both options and let you know which aspects of the required work can be self-laid and which aspects cannot.


Find an accredited SLP

Lloyd’s Register keeps a list of Water Industry Registration Scheme accredited SLPs. There are over 200 accredited contractors nationwide.

For more information, please read the Design Construction Specification. You should also read our Self-Lay Policy and Developers’ Charter.


Self-Lay resources

Information for SLPs

  • Apply for self-lay
  • Notification and request forms
  • Point of connection enquiries
  • Pre-start meeting
  • Weekly-whereabouts
Apply for self-lay
Apply for self-lay mains or services

We ask first that you provide several documents and plans with your application including:

 

  • A detailed site layout drawing

  • Plans of the proposed drainage layout

  • A drawing showing the developer’s proposed locations for the supply pipes and boundary boxes

  • Site Assessment Report (on pipe choice/site contamination)

  • Title deeds

Check the application form for a comprehensive list of what we require.

 

Please note that application forms may change from time-to-time. Please re-download the form each time you need to use it and do not rely on saved copies.

 

In some cases we may already have produced a preliminary mains design for the site. These designs are often produced based on the information contained on the site layout drawing alone, hence why they need to be revised to take all of the information available about the site into account at the application stage. In addition they may have been produced some time ago using drawings that have subsequently been superseded.

 

An application fee will be payable if we have had no previous contact about this site from the developer or someone acting on their behalf. If the proposals have changed significantly since we were last contacted about the site.

 

A charge is also payable to cover the cost to Bristol Water of administering self-laid services. For 2020/21 this charge is now £28.70 for the first connection on the site, £20.86 for the first connection of a batch and £15.69 for the remaining connections.

 

From April 2018 all Developers working with Bristol Water may be contacted by our regulator, Ofwat, to ask for feedback on Bristol Water and the service we provide. If you do not want to be contacted please inform a member of our Development Services or New Supplies team and we will pass that on to Ofwat.

 

Resources (online form)

Self Lay Application Form

 

Resources (offline form)

Self-lay Application Form (doc)

 

 

Notification and request forms
Notification and request forms

You can find all of our self-lay related request and notification forms here. Information on where to send each form, when you need to send it and what to include with it can be found at the top of each form. Please note that any of the forms may change without notice. Download the form each time you need to use it and do not rely on saved copies.

 

Commencement of Mainlaying

 

  • Notify us of your intention to commence mainlaying 21 working days in advance using this form.

  • You only need to submit this form when you first start the mainlaying covered by a particular agreement (sometimes the mainlaying for a site is split between several agreements).

  • In addition to notifying us of when you start mainlaying you also need to submit a weekly whereabouts to inform us of your on-going proposals.

Request for a Spur Connection

 

  • This application form should be sent at least 21 days before the date by which you require the branch connection to be completed for the development.

Non-Contestable Mains Connections

 

  • If a non-contestable mains connection needs to be made book in the work using this form 14 working days in advance. Don’t wait until the bacteriological samples have come back.

Contestable Mains Connections

 

  • Notify us of when you intend to make a contestable mains connection using this form. You should submit it 14 days in advance. Again, don’t wait until the bacteriological samples have come back.

Completed/Aborted Mains Connection

 

  • Once you’ve made a contestable mains connection, or if you intended to make one but were unable to, you should complete and submit this form within 24 hours of the intended connection time.

Contestable Service Connections

 

  • Once you’ve made a contestable mains connection, or if you intended to make one but were unable to, you should complete and submit this form within 24 hours of the intended connection time.

Contestable Service Connections

 

  • Notify us of when you intend to make a contestable service connection 14 working days in advance using this form.

Completed Service Connection

 

  • Once you’ve made a service connection complete this form and submit it with the as-laid and meter details for the service within 24 hours.
Resources (online forms)

SL-N1 Commencement of Mainlaying

SL-N2 Request for a Spur Connection

SL-N3A Request for BW to Complete Mains Connection

SL-N3B Notification of Proposed Mains Connection

SL-N4 Notification-of-Completed-or-Aborted-Mains-Connection

SL-N5 Notification of Proposed Service Connection

SL-N6 Notification of Completed Service Connection

 

Resources (offline forms)

SL-N1 Commencement of Mainlaying (doc)

SL-N2 Request for a Spur Connection (doc)

SL-N3A Request for BW to Complete Mains Connection (doc)

SL-N3B Notification of Proposed Mains Connection (doc)

SL-N4 Notification-of-Completed-or-Aborted-Mains-Connection (doc)

SL-N5 Notification of Proposed Service Connection (doc)

SL-N5 Continuation Sheet

SL-N6 Notification of Completed Service Connection (doc)

SL-N6 Continuation Sheet

Point of connection enquiries
Point of connection enquiries

 

If a developer has already been in touch with us about a site they are likely to have been given details on the Point of Connection.


If, however, you know the location of the site, how many dwellings are to be constructed on it, and the estimated peak flow rate for any other proposed properties, then we will be able to tell you where the Point of Connection onto our network will be. Please complete our Point of Connection form to obtain this information.

Enquiries are generally free of charge, although if we have to use computer modelling, or carry out tests on our network to determine how the development would be supplied, then we will require an application fee to be paid.

Responses to enquiries will normally be sent out within 21 calendar days (under 500 plots). Any enquiry for over 500 plots will normally be sent out within 28 calendar days.

If non-contestable augmentation works are required, and an application fee has been paid, we will provide a budget estimate for the cost of the required augmentation works.

 

Please send requests to:

Development.Services@bristolwater.co.uk

 

Resources (online form)

Self Lay F1 - Point of Connection

Pre-start meeting
Pre-start meeting

A pre-start meeting between the SLP and Bristol Water must take place before work starts on site.

 

Mains and Services or Services Only

 

If you are installing both the mains and services on a site, and the self-lay agreement has been signed by all parties, please email networksiteagents@bristolwater.co.uk to arrange a pre-start meeting. You will be provided with contact details for the person responsible for your site when we send out the agreements for signature.


If you are only making service connections, and the self-lay agreement has been signed by all parties, please email networksiteagents@bristolwater.co.uk to arrange a pre-start meeting.

Weekly-whereabouts
Weekly-whereabouts

We need to know what work you are doing and when you are doing it so that if we need to inspect the installation, we can have someone onsite at the right time.

 

All SLPs are expected to submit a weekly-whereabouts at the end of the week that details the work they are going to do in the following week. There’s no specific format, just email through the details to networksiteagents@bristolwater.co.uk

 

We appreciate that plans can change, so if yours do, please email networksiteagents@bristolwater.co.uk

Contact us about developments

All pre-development enquiries and mains applications from developers will be dealt with by our Developer Interface Team who will arrange for any required mains to be designed and priced, terms to be sent and the mains to be installed.

Sharon Ranahan – Developer Interface Manager

All enquiries from Self-Lay organisations and applications will be dealt with by our Development Services team who will produce or check the design of any required mains. They will send out agreements and deal with the payments for any non-contestable work. They will also deal with the asset value payments at the end of the job.

Tim St John – Head of Development Services

To discuss issues encountered onsite once mainlaying has begun, including changes to the design, you should speak to one of our Network Site Agent. You will be notified of the person responsible for your site before work commences. They will inspect the work as the installation progresses, go through your as-laid plans with you, arrange bacteriological testing and attend the pre-start meeting. Weekly whereabouts should be sent to our Network Site Agent.


Nick Parr – Development Services Operations Manager

You should contact our New Supplies team about service connection issues. They will inspect the supply pipes before connection, authorise the connection and deal with the invoices and payments connected with the services.

Lynn Hawkins – New Supplies Manager

Please address correspondence to the relevant department at:

Bristol Water
Bridgwater Road
Bristol
BS13 7AT

Bristol Water Code for Adoption Redress Scheme