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Case ref:201105270
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Date:September 2012
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Body:Scottish Water
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Sector:Water
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:damage caused / claim for compensation
Summary
The water on Ms C's estate was turned off for essential works by Scottish Water. When the water was turned on again, Ms C said that it burst a pipe under her bath and flooded her house. She paid an insurance excess of £200 to have the damage repaired, and was concerned that this could increase her insurance premium in future. Ms C was advised by her plumber that the damage could have been due to a pressure surge caused by Scottish Water turning the water back on too quickly. Ms C made a claim and a complaint to Scottish Water but was unhappy with their response and complained to us.
Our investigation identified that Ms C lives in an area where water pressure is managed. This management means that water pressure is not able to rise above a certain level. We checked that level against Scottish Water's standards and noted measurements taken at the time, and found that it was in line with these. It was, therefore, unlikely that the burst pipe could have happened because of a surge in water pressure. When we looked at the handling of Ms C's claim and complaint, we found that Scottish Water had had responded in line with their policy.