Anyone know anything about shared water supplies?

[SailAwayWithMeHuni]

We’ve never had great water pressure at home but it’s always been manageable.

New neighbours have moved in and done some work to improve their water supply and now ours has reduced significantly, so much that it takes about 30seconds to fill a kettle.

We don’t have a stopcock in our house and neither do the neighbours. We also don’t have an outside stopcock and despite the water company digging up the pavement about 10 times they are unable to locate it.

They have however said they believe we are on a joint supply with the neighbours, them being first.

Anyone have any advice on what I can do in this situation to improve our pressure?

No but I am shamelessly following as we are in the same position (though our mains pipe goes to five cottages)

Its also quite common to find outside stop taps in the front garden, shared tunnel entry and rear garden. Sometimes they're hard to locate because of plant growth, garden pots etc. Assuming that the water supplier has looked everywhere thoroughly, then you can have a stop tap fitted and yours and your neighbours supply separated, ask your supplier.

Ask your supplier for a separation
It was a few years ago I worked for a water company and they used to do them at discounted rates

Thanks guys, I didn’t know it was possible to seperate the supplies.

I’ve done some reading and it seems like it will cost a few thousand pounds as new pipes need laying and connecting to the mains.

Doesn’t really seem fair that we have to pay this when it’s the neighbours who have affected our supply.

Whereabouts are you OP? We have similar problem, new neigbours have had their bathroom done and everytime they open the tap/flush the toilet we have banging noise.
DH went to water company and they admitted shared supplies in a street full of semidetached houses. DH quoted some water laws and got the reply “we shouldn’t but we can so we do”. Bastards

Sounds like you have a water hammer RedTulip or possibly a washer/o ring has gone somewhere. We had the same problem start last Boxing Day when we had a leak and had to shut off the water.

It might be fixable fairly cheaply and easily, it might be worth replacing the fill valve in your cistern (less than £5 from B&Q) to see if that helps as a starting point.

Experienced this in our previous property, shared supply with 3 houses. Only came to know this when we renovated and installed a new combi- boiler, which never worked efficiently and showers were a problem too. We were quoted a few thousand to get our own supply, one of the biggest expenses was a road closure needed. We talked to our neighbours, about all getting the work done and splitting costs but no one wanted too. Next door had an outside tap fitted to the front of the house unsecured and free to anyone, a few years later they tried to remove the tap and broke the entire pipe and in trying to repair it dug down and broke the old iron waterpipe. We had no water and I was 7months pregnant and a tad upset. The water board had to replace the pipe as our supply was down and when repaired the water was contaminated. They had a nightmare doing this and ended up separating the supply. Took weeks though. If you haven't speak to your water board and also get the pressure checked independently and by them as it has to be a minimum flow rate. I can't remember what it is, but if too low they have a duty to improve it.