New Appointments & Variations

Below is a guide for sites that are to be served by a NAV, including links to relevant application forms. For all correspondence relating to sites that are served or to be served by a NAVs, including application forms, please send to: NAVenquiries@uuplc.co.uk.

As you begin to plan your development, our team of engineers will work with you to agree your point of connection for the bulk supply, your site drainage strategy, points of connection to the water and wastewater network, and discharge rates.

Before you complete the form, you may find it helpful to read the information below, and also review our water and wastewater asset maps for your site. A number of companies offer mapping services, including United Utilities. If you would like to purchase a sewer or water plan from us please see our Property Searches service.

You will need confirmation regarding the unserved status of the site. An unserved site is a site that does not include any existing water and/or wastewater connections to our network. You can request a site status response by completing our Application for a site to be served by a NAV (PDF 208 KB opens in a new window).

We will issue you with a response within 21 days from receiving a completed site status request. This response letter will set out if the site is served or unserved and highlight any existing assets that may run through the NAV boundary

A developer, SLP or NAV may apply for this service.

Once you have an unserved site status response you can apply for a bulk service, see Step 2.

Water

Our team can provide you with advice regarding the point of connection into the water network and how to divert a water main that may be in the way of your development.

Please complete our application for a site to be served by a NAV (PDF 208 KB opens in a new window) and return to us with:
- A site map with a clear redline boundary around the site and preferred point of connection or site entrance
Wastewater

Our team can also provide advice around solutions to potential drainage problems, such as requisitioning a new public sewer and how to divert a public sewer that may be in the way of your development.

All pre-development enquiries should be made using the Wastewater pre-development enquiry form (PDF 175 KB opens in a new window).

Please complete the form and return to us with:
- A site location plan including the site boundary
- Preferred drainage outfall route
Site drainage

To support you in the early stages of planning a development, here are some high level principles for draining new developments.
- We will assist the draining of developments in a sustainable manner.
- Surface water from new developments should not be connected to the public combined sewerage system.
- All options for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) must be explored in accordance with planning practice guidelines.
- We have no legal duty to accept highway drainage from new developments into the public sewerage system. However, in some cases highway drainage will be considered as part of the overall attenuated surface water drainage strategy.
- We will not accept land drainage discharges to the public sewer network.
Where you are designing discharges to ponds and/or to ditches on low level flat sites, please talk to us before you start to ensure your site levels are adequate.

Please contact us as early as possible regarding the drainage of your new development. Our drainage engineers can provide drainage advice to help with your plans but, please bear in mind, it may be superseded by the requirements of the Planning Authority as part of their planning conditions.

For further information contact us at NAVenquiries@uuplc.co.uk.
If you have an unserved site status response you can apply for a bulk service by sending us the following:

Water

When you’re ready to apply for a bulk water connection please complete and return the application for a site to be served by a NAV (PDF 208 KB opens in a new window) and return with:
- Letter of authority (if applicable)
- Design drawing showing proposed site layout and preferred point of connection
- Build programme to include site phasing
- Details of any water efficiency
- The application fee for the bulk water connection. For more information regarding our charges please refer to our charges scheme
If you don't need your water supply within six months, we can provide a free estimate.

Wastewater

Complete the part 1 sewer connection application form, including site address, postcode or x and y co-ordinates (the link to the form is below). Please also include:
- A site drainage plan clearly showing the proposed route and point of the new connection to the public sewer. If connecting to a transferred sewer please indicate the position of the sewer you’ve located.
- A copy of your planning decision notice, if you're exempt from building regulations please provide proof.
- The flow rates for surface water if applicable - see form for details.
- The application fee as set out in the Part 1 sewer connection application form (PDF 267 KB opens in a new window). For more information on fees please see our charges scheme.
Once your application has been received, we will review the information and contact you within 5 days to discuss further.
Water

Based on the information you provided within your application, we will provide you with a bulk service offer letter within 28 calendar days of receiving a complete application.
- This letter will set out:
  - The point of connection
  - The capacity of the connection and minimum/maximum pressures available to site.
  - Our fees for providing the connection, including infrastructure charges, charges for network reinforcement and any applicable income offset.
  - Any of United Utilities’ assets in or around the site boundary.
  - Our terms and conditions, including how we will measure the water that your site uses, usually through a bulk meter at the site boundary.
  - An acceptance form
The Bulk water service offer letter will be valid until the end of the financial year, if not accepted within this period you will need to request a revised quotation and detail any changes to the site.

Wastewater

The point of discharge response will confirm that your proposed point and mode of connection is acceptable.

Permission to work on the public sewer will need to be obtain by your contractor prior to any work commencing.

All our charges will be in line with our current charging arrangements.
When you are ready for a Bulk Supply Agreement and/or a Bulk Discharge Agreement, please email NAVEnquiries@uuplc.co.uk requesting this. We will then draft the agreement which will set out the following:
- The bulk agreement is a legal contract which sets out the costs, terms and conditions of the ongoing bulk service.
- We will send a draft copy of our standard bulk agreement for you to review as part of step 1.
- We can negotiate terms throughout the process to ensure that the bulk agreement is acceptable to both parties.
- We aim to finalise negotiations and sign the bulk agreement within 28 days of you providing written acceptance of our bulk service offer letter.
- You can find copies of our bulk supply and discharge agreements here.
Water - Bulk connection

Once we have received the information outlined below, we will make the connection and in line with the bulk agreement install the water meter. The bulk connection will be completed within 28 calendar days, subject to any traffic management restrictions. Our field team will contact your site agent to arrange a pre-start meeting on site.
- Signed Acceptance note and payment for the work
- Bulk Connection request for works form
- Self-lay agreement (if the offsite works are to be carried out by a SLP)
- Request for Branch Connection (if the offsite works are to be carried out by an SLP)
Wastewater -Bulk discharge

The Developer, SLP or NAV should apply for a Section 106 sewer connection application which can be found here. Please send the completed application and supporting documents to NAVEnquiry@uuplc.co.uk

Your contractor will need to complete an Application Part 2 – request to work (PDF 260 KB opens in a new window). We will issue an approval notice to your contractor within 10 working days, granting them permission to carry out the work.

Permission to work on the public sewer will need to be obtain by your contractor prior to any work commencing.
NAV charging arrangements are made up of:
1. New connection charges. These charges apply to the provision of enabling infrastructure for the bulk service.
2. Bulk charges for NAVs. These charges relate to the ongoing bulk supply. You can access our new connection charges scheme.
Our bulk charges for NAVs can be accessed below.
If surface water from your site drains to our network and/or there is a large user on your site, then you will need to submit a completed charge multiplier sheet with your application. You can access this by filling out this workbook. This allows us to calculate the bulk charge for your site. We will not be able to confirm the ongoing bulk charge without this information.

You can calculate the bulk charge for your site including all applicable ongoing fixed and volumetric charges by using the relevant tariff calculator below:
- Bulk supply charge calculator for NAVs 2023/24
- Bulk supply charge calculator for NAVs 2022/23
We consulted on our approach to calculating bulk charges for NAVs in early 2019. The consultation document sets out our interpretation of Ofwat’s guidance on bulk charges for NAVs and our methodology for calculating the bulk charge. You can find the consultation and the consultation outcome document below
- A consultation on our charging methodology for bulk charges for NAVs.
- The outcome of our consultation on bulk charges for NAVs.
We are committed to providing all of our customers with an effective and efficient service. The reports below shows our performance against WaterUK’s service level agreements (SLAs). Further information on the SLAs are available on WaterUK’s website
For more information on current incidents, click here.
1. Emergency Water Network Response Service (PDF 39KB opens in a new tab)

2. Meter Read Data Provision to Wastewater NAVs
- United Utilities Water offers a transfer of meter reading data which is available to all Sewerage Undertakers in receipt of a Bulk Discharge from United Utilities.
  Sewerage Undertakers are under no obligation to use the Services provided by United Utilities Water and are free to procure their own services from independent providers.
- The service provides Sewerage Undertakers with billed customer, cyclic, non-cyclic meter readings, and passive AMR data where available within 5 Business Days of collection. We can provide end customer meter reading data for twice yearly* at a cost of £1.57 per meter (2023/24 Charges). Full terms & conditions can be found here.
If your NAV site has a wastewater pumping station under either section 104 (New Connections to the Network) or section 102 (Existing Connections Request for Adoption) subject to section 103 (Adoption of cross-border sewers etc.) of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended), we will consider adopting the wastewater pumping station subject to certain conditions being met.

Details of our policy in relation to wastewater pumping station adoption on NAV sites, including the conditions required, are available in our policy document below.

UUW policy - Pumping station adoption on NAV sites 2022/23 (PDF 87KB opens in a new tab)

Appendix 1 2022/23 (PDF 60KB opens in a new tab)

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New Appointments & Variations

Step 1 – Site Status & Pre-Planning (You) Toggle content

Water

Wastewater

Site drainage

Step 2 – Bulk Application (You) Toggle content

Water

Wastewater

Step 3 – Bulk Water and Discharge offer (Us) Toggle content

Water

Wastewater

Step 4 – Bulk Agreement (Us) Toggle content

Step 5 – Bulk Connection (Us) Toggle content

Water - Bulk connection

Wastewater -Bulk discharge

NAV charging arrangements are made up of Toggle content

Surface Water/Large User Toggle content

Performance Toggle content

Current Incidents Toggle content

Additional Service Offerings Toggle content

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