Mains Water and Sewer - the great saga!

One of the longest and delayed projects so far at Arnsheen, was the connection of the building to mains water and sewer supplies. The process began with applying to Scottish Water in October 2021 to check that there was adequate capacity in the existing mains sewer and water systems for the building to be added. This process involved filling in a questionnaire, with a location map. We received a reply two weeks later confirming that the system was OK to cope with the added use of Arnsheen. We then had to complete a separate application form each, for the sewer and the mains water, again to Scottish Water. These applications required location maps, drawings of where the pipes were going into the plot, and where they were going into the building itself, the diameter of the pipes installed so far, where the sewer would connect to the main line, and where the water would connect to the main system. We finally received confirmation that our plans were satisfactory, in February 2022. We had six months then to complete the works, pay Scottish Water invoices for their work to connect, and find a contractor to complete the works.

The first contractor we called (who came highly recommended) said he couldn't even come out and have a look at the job for at least three months. The second one we called, (also highly recommended) came out within a few days. He was happy to take on the works, but needed to find someone to do the groundworks and cut across the road to reach the mains water supply. After chasing him for almost 2 months, with a different response every time, as to why he hadn't submitted a quote, we abandoned him and went back to the first one. He came out quickly this time, and sent in his quote which was acceptable. He said he would apply for the permit from the Council to cut across the road, and let us know a date, most likely within 3 weeks. So guess what; 2 months later with being fobbed off, he admitted that he hadn't applied for the permit yet. He applied the next day and forwarded the response by email, which was roughly 30 questions back from the council that needed his response. He confirmed that this wasn't unusual nowadays and he would respond. A month later, still no contractor, and he finally replied that no one had responded to the questions, as a staff member had left and they thought she had replied.(!) The contractor was also saying that Scottish Water were telling him that there was sewerage in the property already, so there was no need to install this! After a lot of phone calls and emails, we eventually got through to the person who approved our original application, who advised that their maps showed sewer already there. What they hadn't done, was update their maps when the property next door to the church, had been sold some 30 years ago, and the two properties were subsequently split up. On receiving this information they confirmed that it was OK to proceed as before, and when the works were finished, their maps would be updated. We had to then pay Scottish Water invoices first, and then the contractor started the works in September 2022.

It was anticipated that the works would take a week to ten days. However, the contractors took over a week digging down to find the main sewer pipe. Eventually they found it, far deeper than they had expected!

The sewer was connected easily then.

However the water pipe was a different matter. We called Scottish Water to come out and complete the track inspection so that we could infill all the trenches, repair the cut across the road, and Scottish Water could then connect us to the mains. The inspector however, said that we needed a barrier water pipe, instead of the usual one that had been installed by Rod some years ago in readiness. The inspector said that because it was an old site and property, there may be contamination. There has never been a graveyard there, just the church and the surrounding land. However, Scottish Water were adamant. So another trench had to be dug out, and the different water pipe laid.

The track inspector came out again when the works were done, and this time he approved it. A few days later, Scottish Water came out and connected up the sewer and the mains water!

In all it took 10 months from when we first applied to Scottish Water, to them actually connecting the building to the mains systems!