Replacing lead mains water supply pipe

[rebl]

How do we go about this? Our outside stop tap is in the neighbours driveway. The pipe runs across their property to ours. Its still a lead pipe. We really want to change it but we can't afford to pay for digging up a nice driveway next door. Can we have our tap relocated to the road and then new pipes laid down through our property? Would doing this result in us being forced onto a meter (we're currently on rates and its definatly cheaper for us to be on rates)?

You could pay for a new connection but it is very expensive for what it is (I did this to separate the water supply from the downstairs flat and it cost £1500 for two hours' pretty unskilled work then another visit to backfill trench) and I think that, yes, you are obliged to go on a meter now for new connections - but check that.

That is very expensive. Not sure what we can do though. I'm not happy about having lead pipe water mains. But it might be cheaper to do the neighbours driveway than get a new connection. United Utilities were so not helpfull on the phone and told me to go on their website which didn't help me.