Welcome to the 'Self-Laying of Water Mains and Services' Website

The 1st edition of "The Code of Practice for Self-Laying of Water Mains and Services - England and Wales" was published in April 2004. The Code of Practice is a guidance document that covers the provision of water infrastructure for housing and industry development in England and Wales.

The Code and its sister document "Water for Scotland" cover the self-laying of water mains by developers (or self-lay organisations on their behalf). The civil engineering specification in both documents aligns with the Civil Engineering Specification for the Water Industry 6th edition (May 2004).

Both documents are available from WRc (Tel: 01793 865012, 01793 865069 or email publications@wrcplc.co.uk).

Variation in practice and tradition throughout England and Wales mean that Supplementary requirements by individual water companies are required. These can be found on these pages.

Technology and Standards are constantly changing and the need for regular reviews of the document has been recognised by the Water Industry, developers and product manufacturers. Comments on the document can be posted on these pages.

If any formal amendments to the text of Self-Laying of Water Mains and Services are needed in the future, the new text can be found on the 'Corrected Specifications' page. This page should be consulted regularly.

Companion websites exist for Water for Scotland and the Civil Engineering Specification for Water Industry: 6th edition.

Information on the 'WRc Approved' Scheme, which helps manufacturers demonstrate the performance of their products by providing independent certification of products and services for the water industry, can be found on the WRc Approved page.