Austin Road, Bromsgrove – 1/2″ Copper Pipe Replacement

Description
KOBUS Services were asked by KOBUS Plumbing & Drainage to undertake a pipe replacement on a domestic property situated in a suburban area of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. A full replacement of the water supply pipe entering the house was necessary as it was reported to have a major leak.
The supply pipe ran from the stop tap/meter in the boundary box in the pavement, under the lawn at the front of the property to the kitchen entry at the front of the house. Excavation of a trench across the lawn would not be a complex task, but the cost of doing so would be significant. The property owner, Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT), was keen on a cost-effective method that would minimise both their costs and disruption to their tenants.
The Pipe Puller was ideal in this regard as only two small holes would be required for complete pipe replacement. This would minimise excavation and reinstatement costs and time and in addition the job would also be done very rapidly with minimal disturbance.
The pipe to be replaced was a 1/2” copper pipe, 9m in length. After detailed investigation, a number of other supply pipes were identified as present in the ground although only the copper pipe was being used for supply. Given the location of the meter and boundary box, it was this supply pipe that was selected for replacement by a new MDPE pipe, even though this would mean the customer would be off-supply for some time.
Outcomes
The total operation including set-up/preparation, pipe removal and replacement with an MDPE pipe between the boundary box and the house entry took less than 1.5 hours. The actual pipe replacement itself took only 243 seconds. No other excavation was needed in the lawn and using the line of the copper pipe also meant than any other services under the lawn or pavement were also avoided.
The water supply to the property was cut off for just under 2 hours. Both tenant and BDHT were pleased with the efficient and cost-effective nature of the replacement. The work was undertaken under standard health & safety procedures. There were no reported incidents in respect of either service strikes (HSG47) or operator activity.