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WEBINAR BRIEFING NOTE: CON29DW Billing and connection questions– Everything you need to know

6th November 2024
CPD
Industry briefing

Our third webinar, Billing and connection questions – everything you need to know, is now available on the DWSN YouTube Channel. The session gives you insights into the complexities of the billing and connection questions in a Residential CON29DW, including the importance of understanding what services a property is connected to and the different ways a property can be billed. The webinar is part of a series developed to mark the Drainage and Water Searches Network’s 10th birthday (DWSN).

We have captured the key points from the session here for you:

  • The importance of billing and connection question

The billing and connection questions guide any potential purchaser towards understanding how the property is connected and how it will be billed. These cover the three areas of: mains water services, foul water sewerage and surface water drainage. Billing and connection questions are interlinked. If the property is connected, then it will be billed for those connected services. If the property is not connected for one or more of those services, then it will not be billed for those service. The homebuyer will need to know how that service is managed at the property if it is not connected to the public network.

  • Understanding connections

Connection questions ask whether a property is connected to one of 3 services (water, wastewater and surface water).  These are key questions when purchasing a house as some mortgage providers will only lend against connected properties. Common responses for connections state a property is either connected, not connected, or a plot of land:

  • Connected/not connected – is straightforward
  • Plot of land indicates a plot of land or a recently built property. In the case of a recently built property, depending on the stage of the development process, it may not show a connection status at the time of purchase, so it is recommended that the water supply proposals are checked with the developer.

If the responses states that the property is not connected, then private disposal arrangements such as a septic tank may be apparent at the property. Where a septic tank is evident from the TA6 form, then the response to question 2.5 within the search should be checked as there are possible implications for the homeowner if there is a public sewer within 30.48 metres (100 feet) of buildings within the property, as it could result in the Local Authority requiring a property to be connected to the public sewer at the homeowner’s expense.

  • Understanding billing

The billing questions are a group of questions that look at how the property is connected to the public network, who by, and the method of charging used, whether it is a fixed charge or on a measured basis using a water meter.

Q4.1.1 and 4.1.2 asks which water and/or sewerage company is responsible for providing those water and/or sewerage services to the property. Even if the property is shown as not connected to a public asset the CON29DW will always advise who is the relevant undertaker responsible for the services in that area. This is useful information should you wish to look at connecting the property to the public network. Similarly, questions 4.2 and 4.3 asks who bills the property for water services.

It is important to note that the water and/or sewerage company that supplies the property may not be the same one that bills the property for such services. The CON29DW is provided by the sewerage undertaker and if the water border areas overlap another sewerage undertaker’s area, then the water undertaker may be different. Address and contact numbers for the relevant water companies will be included within the search.

Q4.4. asks the basis of current charging. If the basis of charging is by a water meter, then Q3.6 indicates the location of that water meter at the property. If the property is billed according to metered usage, whilst sewerage isn’t measured, the charge is calculated at 90% of the metered mains water usage.

Q4.5 indicates if the basis of charging for both water and sewerage services will change because of change in occupier (future charge).  Q4.5 comes into its own if the property has had a meter installed by its current occupier, but they have chosen to revert to being charged on a fixed cost basis within a fixed period of the meter being installed. As a result, at the point of occupier change, the new homeowner will be billed by the installed meter for water and sewerage services in the future. They do not have the option of a fixed charge. It is important that the conveyancer and homebuyer check Q4.4 and 4.5 to understand the basis for charging at the property and if it will change on change of occupier.

  • CON29DW questions shouldn’t be viewed in isolation

It is also worth noting that you cannot look at the billing and connection questions in isolation from the other questions in the report.

For example, Q2.6 and Q3.3 determine whether the assets on the development are the responsibility of the water and/or sewerage undertaker or are private (developer/homeowner). A Section 104 agreement is an agreement between a developer and sewerage undertaker for the adoption of sewers. The Section 104 agreement is in place to manage the process to adopt newly constructed assets from the developer to the water undertaker once they have met the required standards.  Until these have been met, sewers or lateral drains serving the property remain the responsibility of the developer and or the homeowner. As with unadopted water assets to the property, this could result in maintenance and cost liabilities for the developer or homeowner in the future. Even if the property is being billed, if the assets are not at the required standard for adoption, they will not be adopted, and the homeowner may be liable for those additional costs.

If the property is connected to the public sewer network for surface water drainage and therefore treated by the public sewerage undertaker, there will be a charge for this service. Charges may be applied to a property where not all the property is connected. For example, surface water may be connected at the front of the property and not the rear, however full charges are applied regardless of full or part connection.

If the answer to question 2.2 indicates that the property is not connected for surface water drainage, then it is likely to have other means for drainage such as a soak-away, a SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System), or drainage to a culvert or other type of watercourse. In this instance, the conveyancer and homebuyer should refer to the vendor to clarify the situation.  It is also worth noting that many of the sewerage questions such as those relating to Section 104 adoption agreements, also apply to any surface water drainage assets that drain into the public network. There may be implications for the homeowner and/or developer in terms of cost and maintenance liabilities if the property is served by private or unadopted surface water drainage assets. It is always worth checking who has responsibility for any surface water assets. Further information may be available from the vendor or the TA6 document.

  • Support available

If you have any detailed queries about a particular water or drainage issue – do contact your local provider, they have specialist expert teams who will be able to help you.

There are also more videos on the DWSN YouTube Channel, these are great for induction packs and team updates and provide an in-depth look at individual questions within a CON29DW search.

And, throughout this website you can identify the CON29DW provider for any addresses in England by using the Find a Supplier feature at the top of each page.