Work in your area

Below you'll find some FAQs to help you better understand the work we're doing. If you have any questions that are not answered below, please give us a call on 01737 772000 and we'll be happy to help.

What does pressure optimisation mean?

Pressure optimisation is about setting the pressure in the network to the optimum level so that customers get a reliable and constant supply of water at a pressure that protects the water supply assets owned by our customer and SES Water.

What are the benefits of pressure optimisation?

There are many benefits to pressure optimisation. It reduces leakage, it prevents failures such as leaks and burst on company and customers pipework and it ensures that customers get a consistent level of pressure throughout the day. This means there is less likelihood and impact of damaging supply interruptions or damage caused by water leakages.

What are the draw backs of having pressure that is too high?

If the pressure to your property is too high, there is greater risk of failure to pipes and fittings. There is also a risk that you will experience noise in your pipe work from the water hammer effect. Pressure optimisation significantly reduces these risks.

How is Pressure Optimisation done?

We control the pressure entering into discrete areas of our network. We use smart technology to do this which monitors the pressure in the network making sure that we also provide a suitable pressure even to those properties at the highest elevations. This intelligent technology responds to the demand in the network and adjusts the pressure, ensuring that customers always get a suitable pressure for their needs.

Does pressure optimisation just mean pressure reduction?

Not at all. In some cases, it will result in a reduction but on the whole it is about stabilising the pressure at a suitable level throughout the day. This means reducing the potentially damaging excess pressure at some times of day but also ensures a suitable pressure is maintained at all times.

What should I do if following notification of pressure optimisation, I begin to have supply issues or problems with my heating?

The first thing to do is to check your internal stop tap to make sure it is fully open. Some developers and builders have in the past partially shut internal stop taps to reduce the incoming pressure and protect the internal pipework. Now that your pressure is optimised you will need to fully open your stop tap. If you are still experiencing inadequate pressure then please contact us and we will happily investigate.

What is an acceptable pressure to have and is there a minimum requirement?

As your water supplier we have a statutory obligation to provide you with a minimum pressure of 10m (1bar) at your external stop tap. In most cases we are able to provide more than this and will always aim to provide 15m(1.5bar) where possible to do so. Please remember that if your property is at a higher elevation that your external stop tap you may experience less than this. The size and condition of the supply pipe serving your property can also affect your pressure and flow as can being on a shared supply. We want to help you to overcome any such issues so please get in touch.

My builder/heating supplier says I need a minimum pressure higher than the 10m(1bar) statutory minimum?

It is true that some heating system types require a higher pressure than the statutory minimum that we are obliged to provide. However, your supplier should know this and select the most appropriate type of system for the pressure available at your property. In most cases the target pressure that we aim for (15m or 1.5bar) will be more than sufficient for most heating systems but there may be other restrictions in your system that need to be investigated that might be contributing to a reduction in pressure.