Crappy Water Meter Placement - New Build

• 

  k-rokfm on 16/11/2016 - 14:08

  Do you have a picture or a diagram?

  Could you alternatively just get it shortened so that it was below the level of the driveway and then put a cover over it?

  • 

    SaberX on 16/11/2016 - 14:16

    Umm I doubt it? Water meters stand out of the ground, never seen them covered? SUre ill update topic post hopefully to show it.

    I've tried uploading to google drive - let me know if it can't be viewed.

    The meter:

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gaoGFk_vjiWGFTZkZIT25yV2…

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gaoGFk_vjiQkk1WHJJbUR3cG…

    This pic shows the driveway from far, so it puts into perspective how ridiculous the placement /logic is:

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gaoGFk_vjiazhzLWl5REhmQz…

    And finally this is the neighbours, aka. how most water meters should and are usually installed. Trust my luck.

    The only positive is unlike the neighbours I don't have those massive, ill placed man holes/waste holes or whatever they are that periodically dot the lawn, unfortunately theirs was plonked really high right on their middle of their lawn. At least it can't be run over.

    How a reasonable placement should be:

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gaoGFk_vjid19uRVZUMjdQOU…

    • 

      Nomic on 16/11/2016 - 14:33

      My dad has a covered one - sits down in a little pit which SA Water installed when they replaced the meter or some rusted piping a while back. Have you contacted your water supplier? This isn't a builder or tradie issue - the meter is owned by the water corporation in your state.

      • 

        SaberX on 16/11/2016 - 14:57

        I rang water corp. They claim it was a prelaid service by the developer, so the infrastructure is installed and they get told where to install the water meter.

        I don't think I can take it up with their tradies installation as being incorrect.

        They say I should take it up with the developer for indicating the wrong prelay spot to install.

        Builder is also saying it isn't their duty but on my site plan it does have a "METER CONN TO BE RELOCATED
        UPTO 500mm AWAY FROM DRIVE" - which is the $454 water corp charges for up to 500mm. and an arrow to where it is on my site plan currently.

        I would argue this indicates they were meant to move it - surely they wouldn't have just 'pointed it out' on the site plan, so I am having another go at throwing it back to their end to correct it given it's on the site plan.

        Failing that I face the uphill battle of arguing back to a developer who has already sold the land that they shoulder the relocation cost for a prelay that was not far enough?

        I was given the option , albeit more expensive to lower the meter pipe into a steel box that is trafficable, albeit it's $650 something or the like?

        I can move it up to 500mm for the $454, so it will still be exposed.. not sure if it's best to just move it to left, as surely one wouldn't drive into the garden bed?

      • 

        Nomic on 17/11/2016 - 20:15

        @SaberX: I'd take the option to get it lowered into the steel box and get the builder to pay $450 towards it. It's an accident waiting to happen.

      • 

        kiitos on 18/11/2016 - 08:47

        @SaberX:
        Our water meter is alongside the top of our driveway, not as close as yours, but it's a 1930s house with a narrow driveway.

        I have to admit that I have run into it while reversing into the driveway when I had a bad neck and clearly couldn't judge my alignment properly. I bumped it, corrected, continued down the driveway, and hoped it was alright. Then I watched as a little trickle of water started running down the driveway…

        This was around midnight. I called the water board, and they sent a truck out and fixed it in a couple of hours(!!!) Felt bad for neighbours trying to sleep with a truck with a generator and floodlights outside their house at 1am.

        They were very good, fixed it, and fortunately I wasn't charged anything.

        I was mindful of the water meter before then. And am even more mindful now, which is a pain everytime I reverse into the driveway.

    • 

      k-rokfm on 16/11/2016 - 14:55

      +1

      looks like a horrible placement lol.. Im in canberra and have a water meter below the level of the driveway with a cover, shouldnt be a massive job. Would be a decent location if you could fix it to do that

      • 

        SaberX on 16/11/2016 - 14:59

        see my response above, I was given that open, they lower it and it's a steel trafficable box. Albeit it's in the $600s as opposed to the $454 to just move it to the left.

        I am wondering if they can move it to the left abit while lowering it and capping it with the steel cover box - but the lady advised it probably wasn't required given if you're going to move it to the left anyway, no one should be driving into the garden into it? As opposed to the crappy, literally driveway edge.

        My main issue is me having to foot the bill. Water corp tells me the developer prelays and marks where to install. My builders site plan having the marking that it needs to be moved 500 mm, and then who to try and chase up to fix this. IN the end I see this as me forking out the money, which I don't think is fair. Total bollocks.

• 

  Ryanek on 16/11/2016 - 14:26

  Where is the water placement in the building plans? Unfortunately it is up to you to point out any issues during the tender process otherwise any alterations after sign off comes with a fee.

  If placement differs from the plans then the builder should claim responsibility.

  • 

    SaberX on 16/11/2016 - 15:01

    The arrow points to right next to driveway. but there's a text that says "METER CONN TO BE RELOCATED
    UPTO 500mm AWAY FROM DRIVE"

    I take this as the builder indicating they were to move it - not telling me to do it. So I am going to chase them up.

    I think water corp may be telling the truth for once in saying it was a prelaid service, so they are told by a marker where the developer had installed services up to, and to install meter there. The builder innocently may have then noted that this now has to be moved. Don't know if the builder or developer should be responsible.

    I am going to try the builder first given the site plan clearly has those words written to relocate. Whereas a developer who has sold the land will clearly try to wiggle out.

    Do I have a back leg to get the builder to move it given it's written?

    • 

      SaberX on 16/11/2016 - 15:05

      https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-gaoGFk_vjibi1wYW5vQVlra2…

      how I see my site plan. Thoughts? DO I have a leg to stand on?

      • 

        trex on 16/11/2016 - 16:18

        From the way it's stated "up to 500mm", the connection is to be max 500mm from drive with no minimum.

      • 

        SaberX on 16/11/2016 - 16:23

        @trex:

        On a technical basis yeah - they could say 0 mm, complied. But obviously one wouldn't write the relocation comment on a site plan if they didn't intend/were to move it. I mean you could shirk responsibility under the literal sense, but I would think some responsibility/image for the $454 would be worth it?

        I mean a lot to me, but certainly not to their margins? I mean any reasonable person looking at the pictures I attached could see it was horribly placed.

      • 

        trex on 16/11/2016 - 21:49

        @SaberX: Contract and building specifications is always based on a literal sense. Yes, you could argue that the meter connection was never relocated in the first place hence that's the reason it is right beside the drive way? Or you could try to appeal to the builder to relocate the meter on good faith but based on the specs, they did no wrong.

      • 

        SaberX on 25/11/2016 - 02:54

        @trex:

        so far it seems the builder has acknowledged it was missed - so some good news in they said they'd apply to have it relocated the up to 500mm max allowed by watercorp for the first tier of paymnet. better than nothing! 400mm even to the left of driveway would still be a much bigger girth to avoid running it over.

• 

  altomic on 16/11/2016 - 15:22

  +1

  Have a gentle dig around those vertical pipes. Check to see how they are attached to the horizontal pipes underneath the surface. If they are wielded, hmmm. If they are are attached with threaded elbows then you may be able to "turn" the meter away from The drive way.

  Another possible solution is to expose at least 2 meters of pope either side of the meter. Then keep digging down so you can make the pipes "bow" by pushing the metre down. I.e. reduce the height of the metre.

  • 

    kryptoz on 16/11/2016 - 19:52

    I agree with this — the simplest, most cost-effective option. Albeit if it starts leaking it could cost you more in the end.
    I would also chase the developer/builder/contractor/etc to try to get some resolution from them.
    If that fails, get a steel box made to cover it, with a paint finish, then replace the sand with potting mix, mulch and some bushy plants to hide it all and minimise accidental damage from visitors cars.

  • 

    SaberX on 25/11/2016 - 02:55

    @trex:

    so far it seems the builder has acknowledged it was missed - so some good news in they said they'd apply to have it relocated the up to 500mm max allowed by watercorp for the first tier of paymnet. better than nothing! 400mm even to the left of driveway would still be a much bigger girth to avoid running it over.

    The steel box was given to me as an option but I believe rather than circa $455 for relocation, the steel box and lowering it into ground level is mainly used so it's trafficable, so while it is a solution it wasn't really designed for that. IT costs alow more too.. circa $650 or somethinG?

• 

  airzone on 16/11/2016 - 16:31

  Judging by the location of the NBN pit, there will be fibre optics in the immediate area for both you and your neighbour. That will significantly limit your options.

• 

  c64 on 16/11/2016 - 17:12

  +1

  that's an accident waiting to happen. you definitely need some protection around the pipes. a post or something on either side.

• 

  Youfah Mizzum on 16/11/2016 - 17:36

  When land is subdivided ready for development (houses), the water meters are positioned well before any house is built. That is my experience & observation anyway.

  It is therefore up to the builder & the contractor who does the driveway to steer clear of the meter. It's not really the fault of the water corp.
  Whilst it doesn't look good, it would've been up to whoever engaged the builder to ensure the driveway doesn't interfere with utilities.
  Unfortunately in this case everyone is going to deny responsibility - you may just need to bite the bullet & get a plumber to shift it. Wear the cost & try and forget about it.

• 

  oscargamer on 16/11/2016 - 19:40

  spray paint it pink or yellow and black or any other colour

• 

  [Deactivated] on 16/11/2016 - 22:20

  +1

  I'd just pay out of pocket to have it relocated. It's not an amount worth fighting over

• 

  Brendoo on 17/11/2016 - 08:25

  Make a little solid box around it, or put a little garden edge fence (like a 15cm high one) along the line where the paving meets the sand. I guess you would make a garden in that sand anyway? Then unlikely that a car is going to run over it as they wouldn't want the wrath after destroying the garden. Seems like a non-issue to me, I wouldn't bother moving it. But yeah, someone didn't measure properly, either the water board or the house boundary is in the wrong place and you have about 30cm extra width on your property.