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Insufficient private water supply

Managing insufficiency of private water supplies - Drinking Water Inspectorate (dwi.gov.uk)

East Devon District Council doesn’t offer any kind of drinking water delivery or storage service.  If your private water supply isn’t providing enough water then you will need to look at alternative sources which could include:

  • Bottled water
  • A neighbour that may be able to provide water from their supply
  • Connection to mains water if this is available in your area
  • Bulk delivery of water from a commercial company – see list of providers below.

Make sure the water quality is suitable for your needs – you may need to boil the water before use.

If you are a food business operator with a private water supply you must ensure that you have an adequate and suitable supply of water for cleaning, hand washing and safe food preparation.

If your water supply regularly runs dry or does not provide sufficient water, we would recommend you get advice from a water company about options for the future or consider connecting to mains if it’s available in your area.

If other properties use the same water supply, ensure they are aware of the problem so that all users can take steps to save water.

Tips for saving water. Save 5 litres (southwestwater.co.uk)

Companies providing emergency water delivery services

Water Direct

Emergency Water | Water Direct | For Same Day Water Deliveries (water-direct.co.uk)

0345 345 1725

Water Tanker

https://www.watertanker.co.uk/

0800 144 8205

info@watertanker.co.uk

Water2u

https://water2u.uk/

01460 62222

info@water2u.uk

Liquiline

https://www.liquiline.co.uk/water-supply-services/

01258 830324

office@liquiline.co.uk

South West Water – can provide temporary standpipes on their network via their approved supplier Water Services Ltd

Standpipe hire | South West Water

0844 756 4000

southwestwater@waterservicesltd.com

Energy Bills - Government Support for park home residents

Apply by 31 May 2023

There are two types of Government support for all park home residents to help with energy bills.

Under the Energy Bills Support Scheme – Alternative Fund (EBSS-AF), all park home residents are entitled to a one off payment of £400.

In addition, all park home residents who use alternative fuels such as LPG and heating oil will be entitled to an extra £200 under the Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP) scheme.

To receive the payments, eligible park home residents will need to make two separate applications either online or through the available helpline. The closing date for submitting an application is 31 May 2023.

How to check eligibility and apply

For the £400 support

For the £200 support

Please note that to combat fraud and phishing attempts, Government will never provide any links to the application portal or directly ask individuals to apply for their support.

Once residents have applied to receive support and their applications have been processed and verified, eligible customers’ details will be shared with local authorities who will make the one-off, non-repayable support.  Payments will be made directly into applicant’s bank accounts in a single instalment.

The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority.

Park Home Residents Advice Service

If you have any questions about the application process or any other queries about your rights and responsibilities as a park home resident, please contact us on 020 7832 2525 or book a park homes advice session: Contact – Leasehold Advisory Service (lease-advice.org)

Leasehold Advisory Service Ltd Registered in England no 3296985 Registered office: 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF Telephone 020 7832 2500

Email info@lease-advice.org

www.lease-advice.org 

Flooding In and around Private Water Supplies

Flood water can carry unwanted and potentially harmful pollution. These can enter your private water supply if the source and tanks are not protected against contaminated surface water.

If you think your private water has been affected by flooding, then there are options available to you:

  • Temporarily boil water to kill any bacteria that may have entered the supply via the flood water.
  • Check all source and storage chambers are tightly sealed and in good repair to prevent flood water gaining access to your water.
  • Check the UV treatment is working; the bulb is lit; the quartz tube is clean and that the pre filtration is sufficient to protect the UV unit.
  • If the pre filter cartridge is dirty following the flood, it must be changed.
  • A water engineer can carry out a chlorinated flush of the system following the flood to ensure that any bacteria that could be in the pipework is killed.
  • East Devon District Council can conduct sampling to ensure wholesomeness of the water.

For more advice and information and a list of Water Engineers please call the Private Sector Housing Team on 01395 571572.

Spray Foam Insulation Guidance

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched an impartial and comprehensive guide written by specialists to update residents on the latest guidance about the use of spray foam as a method of insulating residential properties.

Thermal improvements can be made to many homes.  If your main goals are to reduce energy bills and carbon emissions, then installing insulation and draught-proofing can achieve this. Spray foam is just one type of thermal insulation, which can be applied to various parts of a building as part of a wider thermal improvement plan.

However, this popular form of insulation, which has been widely used for several decades, can all too often be marketed as an easy and simplistic fix. In fact the installation of spray foam should really be seen as a significant and fundamental alteration to a home which needs careful consideration and planning.

The RICS spray foam guide aim at homeowners and landlords on the pros and cons of spray foam installation. Following many years of research into the effects of foam insulation material,  helping residents in  making informed decisions.

This informative guide covers topics such as what effects spray foam might have on a property’s roof structure, thermal performance and value - do’s and don’ts when installing insulation to your home, and how RICS-accredited members can help assess your property.

RICS release new spray foam consumer guide

Make Things Right - Social Housing Complaints

Social housing should be safe, secure and well maintained. If you have an issue with your landlord, it’s now easier to make things right.

How do I make a complaint?

If you’re unhappy with the service from your landlord you should make a complaint to them first. Social Housing Complaints – If you're unhappy with the service from your social housing provider, make it right

Complaints could include:

  • repairs and maintenance
  • issues with communal areas
  • health and safety issues
  • anti-social behaviour
  • customer service

Be assured, you shouldn’t be penalised for making a complaint and it will not affect your tenancy.

Your landlord will typically have 2 stages to their complaints procedure, and each stage takes around 10-20 working days for them to respond. If you are unhappy with your landlords response you may contact the Housing Ombudsman Service.

Advice on how to make an effective complaint can be found in this guide.

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

Guide for tenants: Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Act applies to the social and private rented sectors. It allows tenants to take their own actions against their landlord if their rented home is not fit for habitation. Landlords must ensure that their property, including any common parts of the building, is fit for human habitation at the beginning of the tenancy and throughout.

Landlords must make sure that their property is free of hazards which are so serious that the dwelling is not reasonably suitable for occupation. Most landlords take their responsibility seriously and do this already.

Where a landlord fails to do so, the tenant has the right to take action in the courts for breach of contract on the grounds that the property is unfit for human habitation. The  court can require the landlord to take action to reduce or remove the hazard, and / or pay damages to compensate the tenant.

From 20 March 2020, everyone who has a secure or assured tenancy, or a statutory tenancy, or a private periodic tenancy, can use the Homes Act regardless of when their tenancy began. Anyone who is still on the fixed term of a private tenancy that began before 20 March 2019 cannot use the Act until the end of that fixed term.

Private Water Supplies

Establishing Holiday Accommodation, Caravan, Camping Sites or Short Term Lets

Recent years have seen an increased demand for holiday and short term accommodation in the UK. If you are planning or in the process of establishing a new holiday accommodation, Caravan, Camping Site or short term let on your property, which is to be connected to a private water supply please let us know so that we can give you more advice.

East Devon District Council is required by law to monitor private water supplies to ensure safety standards are met. Holiday accommodation or short term lets are considered commercial activity under Regulation 9 of the Private Water Regulations (England) 2016 (as amended). They require routine risk assessment every 5 years and annual water sampling*.

This work must be carried out and the results verified by UKAS accredited samplers prior to the first public use of the property. Please contact us via our website at the earliest opportunity if you are considering such a venture.

For further information we recommend you visit the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s web pages on private supplies and engage the services of a water engineer to assess the suitability of your supply for this purpose.

Please note that planning permission is required for a holiday let if a change of use is proposed and certain Health and Safety regulations need to be met before commercial activities can commence.

For more information on establishing a holiday or short term let please visit East Devon District Council’s website regarding:

Planning

Business Rates

Private Water Supplies

 *East Devon District Council make charge to recover costs for sampling and risk assessment of private water supplies, details of which can be found on our website.