A quarter of Norwegian homeowners do not know whether they have a service pipe. This could end up costing them dearly.
Local authorities provide water and sewerage services to residents via their main pipelines. In total, there are 100,000 km of municipal water and sewerage mains in Norway. The country’s homeowners, for their part, are responsible for a staggering 180,000 kilometres of service pipes. That’s a lot.
Service pipes are buried on the property owners’ own land. They may also be located on neighbours’ land – beneath and alongside roads. The pipes can range in length from 1 metre to many kilometres and are owned by the property owner alone or jointly with neighbours.
Living in ignorance
A survey by Norsk Vann shows that 26 per cent of residents do not know whether they own the water and sewerage service pipes. 34 per cent do not know whether they own a service pipe jointly with their neighbour. Only 40 per cent know where the service pipes are located on their property, and 34 per cent know what condition the pipes are in. It is therefore quite possible that you yourself are the owner of a service pipe without having the slightest idea about it.
Surveys show that homeowners in Oslo know the least about their service pipes, whilst homeowners in Northern Norway know the most. Female homeowners generally score lower than men.
Maintenance requirements
Like most other things, service pipes need to be maintained and replaced. However, few homeowners currently ensure that this maintenance is carried out. It is claimed – although this is not easy to substantiate – that service pipes account for around half of the leaks in the water supply network. If the deterioration goes on for too long, the bill can be sky-high. Buying and installing a new water and drainage system can easily cost you between 200,000 and 300,000 kroner.
Map out your facility!
It is therefore important to clarify the status of your facility.
Vitek advises all housing cooperatives and homeowners to find out where the service pipes are located. This is also important to ensure that the pipes are not damaged by building work or other activities on the property. Once you know where your pipes are, it is a good idea to check what condition they are in.
For many years, Vitek has been carrying out pipe inspections. We do this by inserting a camera into the pipes, which gives us a clear overview of their condition. And if your pipes need maintenance, pipe rehabilitation may be a good option.
In our experience, pipe relining is a quicker and cheaper method than replacing the old pipes with new ones. In short, the method involves installing new pipes inside the old ones. This means we do not need to dig up gardens, break up floors or knock down walls. This is a great benefit for everyone.
