McFadden Utilities is a WIRS-accredited water connection contractor based in Hertfordshire, delivering new connections, supply upgrades, and pipe replacements across London and the South East.
A new water connection is exactly what it sounds like: getting mains water from the existing network to a property or site where it’s needed. That covers new supplies to new-build houses, developments, and commercial sites, upgrades to existing supplies that need larger pipework to support added demand, and replacements of aged or failing supply pipes (commonly lead pipes installed before the current water quality standards). Each scenario uses a slightly different process but the end goal is the same: potable water from the main to the point of use, signed off to the water company’s standards.
The process isn’t always obvious from the outside. For a new build development, the client makes the initial application to the local water company, then there’s a design phase, the actual installation of the connection pipework, pressure testing, chlorination to bring the new pipework to potable standard, and commissioning. The installation can be done by the water company directly, or by an accredited contractor like McFadden working as a self-lay provider (SLP) or on behalf of a main contractor. For an upgrade or lead replacement, the process is shorter but follows the same principles: disconnect the old supply, install new compliant pipework, test, chlorinate, reconnect.
We've done hundreds of connections over the years. For clients, it's about getting it done properly without chasing three different contractors. They make the first call to the water company, and we take it from there. The install, the testing, the handback.
Paul McFadden, Director
McFadden handles the full job from application support through to live supply. That means assisting with the water company application once the client has made first contact, liaising on design, trench excavation along the required route, pipe laying to adopted standards (typically modern polyethylene for new connections), connection to the existing main using under-pressure drilling where continuity of supply to neighbouring properties matters, pressure testing and chlorination, connection of the new service into the building or site, and full NRSWA-compliant reinstatement of any excavated public highway or verge. One contractor, one programme, one point of contact.
Lead pipe replacement is a specific scenario worth naming separately. Older properties built before the 1970s often still have lead service pipes from the water main to the house. Water companies and councils now run replacement schemes in many areas, and private property owners commission replacement independently where funding or grants aren’t available. The work involves locating the existing lead pipe, installing new compliant pipework (usually MDPE) along the same route or a better one, connecting at the main and at the property, and making good the affected ground. McFadden’s teams are trained and accredited to carry this work out to the water company’s required standards.
Where the job sits inside a larger scheme (a new housing development, a commercial build, or a multi-property upgrade), McFadden can coordinate the connection work alongside self-lay mains installation, reinstatement, and other utility works handled by the same teams. For smaller single-property jobs, the same accredited standards apply without the scheme-level coordination.
A new water connection job runs in four phases, from the first enquiry to water running through the new pipe. Each phase feeds the next, and the handover at the end is clean.
Initial site visit, confirmation of what's needed (new supply, upgrade, or replacement), and assistance with the water company application once the client has made first contact. Permits and traffic management organised where the work affects public highway.
Route design, pipe specification, coordination with the water company's technical team, and a programme agreed with the client. For lead replacement work, the existing pipe run is located and the new route confirmed.
Excavation, pipe laying, connection to the existing main (typically via under-pressure drilling so supply to neighbouring properties isn't interrupted), connection of the new service to the building, and initial testing.
Pressure testing to the water company's required test pressure, chlorination and sampling to bring the new supply to potable standard, NRSWA reinstatement above ground, and commissioning handover with all test records and as-built drawings.
Connection teams work from the Hertfordshire depot, covering London and the wider South East as standard. The six-county core service area is where most jobs get delivered, with larger schemes taking teams further afield.
The questions we hear most about new water connections, upgrades, and replacements.
A new water connection is the installation of pipework that brings mains water from the existing water network to a property or site. It covers new supplies to new-build houses and developments, upgrades to existing supplies (typically when more capacity is needed), and replacements of aged or failing supply pipes like lead services. The work ends when potable water flows through the new pipe and the water company has signed the new supply off as compliant.
Three options exist. The local water company can do the work directly, commissioned by the property owner or developer. An accredited contractor (like McFadden) can do the installation as a self-lay provider (SLP), which usually works out faster and more programme-flexible for developers. Or an accredited contractor can do the work subcontracted through a main contractor on a larger scheme. Each route delivers to the same adopted standards. The choice usually comes down to programme, cost, and how the overall scheme is being coordinated.
Self-lay is a specific route for new connections where the developer or their appointed contractor installs the water mains and services rather than the water company doing the work. The installation still has to meet the company’s adopted standards, and the installer has to be WIRS-accredited. So a self-lay job is a new water connection, but not every new water connection is a self-lay job. If the scheme is developer-led self-lay specifically, McFadden’s self-lay water services is the direct route. Otherwise, the scope covered here is broader – upgrades, replacements, and subcontract connection work.
Yes. Lead pipe replacement is a specific scenario where an existing lead service pipe (typically installed before modern water quality standards) is replaced with compliant modern pipework, usually MDPE. Some water companies and councils run replacement schemes, and private property owners also commission replacement independently. McFadden’s teams are trained and accredited to carry out lead replacement work to the relevant water company’s standards, including location of the existing pipe, removal, installation of the new pipe, pressure testing, chlorination, and ground reinstatement.
The installation itself is typically a day or two on site for a single-property connection, longer for larger schemes with multiple connections or trench runs. What adds time is the water company application and design phase before the work starts, which can run from a few weeks to a couple of months depending on the water company, the scheme complexity, and whether the route crosses third-party land. Once the client has made first contact with the water company, McFadden assists with the application and handles the liaison to keep that phase as short as possible.
It means the client makes first contact with the water company, and McFadden takes it from there. Application support, connection design, permits and traffic management, excavation, pipe laying, connection to the existing main, pressure testing, chlorination, reinstatement, and handback. One point of contact and one programme, rather than chasing three different contractors and the water company separately.
WIRS is the Water Industry Registration Scheme, run by Lloyd’s Register (LRQA). A WIRS-accredited contractor can legally carry out work that gets adopted into the public water network, including new water connections. The accreditation covers design, construction, inspection, and commissioning against published water industry standards. Without it, the work can’t be adopted. McFadden is WIRS-accredited, plus WIAPS (Water Industry Approved Plumbers Scheme) for connection and fitting work specifically.
McFadden delivers new water connection work across Hertfordshire, London, Surrey, Essex, Cambridgeshire, and Berkshire as standard, working from the Hertfordshire depot. Larger schemes and framework contracts take teams further afield. Get in touch for projects outside this core area.
Whether it's a new build connection, an upgrade to an existing supply, a lead pipe replacement, or a larger scheme with multiple connections across a development, the connection team are happy to talk through the scope and get a quote over. Subcontract enquiries from developers and main contractors welcome.
Phone: 01707 648 420
Email: info@tonymcfadden.co.uk