Self-lay providers

• 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.
• Self-lay providers (SLPs) may be able to offer more flexibility in relation to the timing of the required works.

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.

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 online application form
• Self-lay print application form
• Annual contestability summary 2024
• Design construction specification
• Introduction of flushing of newly constructed water mains procedure
• Model water adoption agreement example
• Preliminary mains enquiry form
• Self-lay policy
• Operational notification process
• Self-lay agreement template – mains OPTION 5
• Self-lay materials list

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 In addition, they may have been produced some time ago using drawings that have subsequently been superseded.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, or if the proposals have changed significantly since we were last contacted about the site. See our current charges.

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.

Complete a self-lay application form Download a self-lay application form (document)

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 more than 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

Self-lay F1 - Point of Connection Application

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

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

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 ongoing 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 working 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.

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.