New water connections - standard size

If you’re building a new home or commercial property (such as a shop, office or industrial building), unless you’re planning on harvesting rainwater, you will probably need a new connection to our water main.

You might need a new water connection if you are:

building a new property
building onto an existing property (e.g. an extension, granny flat or annexe)
in need of a temporary building supply
converting a property into multiple units with individual supplies
converting a property that was once used for a different purpose (for example, converting a barn or garage into a house/home)
installing a fire apparatus (e.g. a fire sprinkler)
in need of a supply for irrigation purposes
moving from a private supply

You might need a replacement water supply if:

your water pressure is low and you require a larger supply
you are separating a shared supply
you are converting a property into multiple units with a shared supply

If you have any queries on the process our detailed guidance notes at the bottom of this page should be able to help.

How long will it take?
There are several stages to the new water connection process:

We’ll review your application within 5 calendar days and may get in touch if we need any further information. To help avoid delays, please make sure the application fee is paid.

We’ll send you a quote telling you how much the connection will cost within 28 days of full application received.

You’ll need to pay the quotation, excavate the trench and lay the supply pipe. Once your work is ready for inspection (as per the guidance notes provided with quotation) please contact us.

You’ll need to contact us to arrange a trench inspection which we’ll aim to complete in 5 working days.

Self-certification

This allows approved contractors to inspect and sign off their own trench installations without waiting for a Welsh Water inspector to attend site. Click here for more information.

Once inspection has been passed we will aim to complete your connection in up to 21 days subject to any traffic management or highways requirements .When a road closure is required, the highways authority can add up to 12 weeks onto the connection date.

How much will it cost?
The cost of a new water connection is made up of four different charges:

This is an upfront non-refundable fee, paid on application, using a valid credit or debit card.

A standard connection is £148.74+VAT per application. The quote you then receive will be valid for six months. After this point you will have to pay a new application fee. To apply for a standard connection, please login to the portal at the bottom of this page.

Connection charge

For standard sized connections, the costings are bespoke and based on the amount of work necessary to connect you to our water network. Each connection is reviewed on a case-by-case basis using the prices listed in the schedule of charges. There could also be additional fees, such as where additional meterage is needed to bring the service pipe up to the connection point. You can find out more information on this from page 9 onwards of our schedule of charges. VAT is only applicable where the properties are not exempt from VAT.
For larger connections, we will build up a bespoke quote. VAT is only applicable where the properties are not exempt from VAT.
Any traffic management costs that are out of the norm, i.e. road closure, 4-way traffic lights, pedestrian crossing suspensions etc, will be payable by the applicant who is requesting the connection.

A water infrastructure charge

This is a one-off charge:

£541 per property for standard connections
£541 x relevant multiplier for larger connections (you can find details of our multipliers on pages 22-23 of our schedule of charges)

A waste infrastructure charge

This is a one-off charge, set by our regulator Ofwat, which is applicable for properties who are also connecting to our sewerage system and opt for a standard new water connection:

£541 per property for standard connections
£541 x relevant multiplier for larger connections (you can find details of our multipliers on pages 22-23 of our schedule of charges)

Traffic management charges

If more extensive traffic management is required—such as four-way traffic lights, road closures, or suspending pedestrian crossings—additional charges will apply. These measures involve extra costs from highways authorities and traffic management providers, which are not included in our standard rates.

Land Entry Costs

When work needs to be carried out by Dŵr Cymru on private land, we apply charges to cover the costs involved. This includes the initial consultation, preparing and serving notices, and liaising with landowners, all managed by our Estates team.

Bespoke Costs

In some cases, we may need to install specific fittings or take additional steps to protect the integrity of the existing network and avoid any disruption for current customers. Where this is required, additional charges will apply. Examples include installing a pressure reduction valve to manage high main pressures, providing water tankers to maintain supply during major asset shut-offs needed for the connection, or carrying out hydraulic modelling to assess the potential impact of a new connection on the network. These charges are only applied when it has been confirmed that such measures are essential to complete the connection.

For information on our charges, visit our schedule of charges here.

To view a basic indicative cost for your new water connection please see below. This indicative cost is based on connection size alone.

Please note, this is not a formal application for water services or confirmation of a final costing that would be offered.

This indicative costing does not consider the amount of work required and does not include charges such as for traffic management or specific VAT charges etc.