Homebuyers purchasing rural properties have been warned to check whether they have a legal right to their water supply after official figures revealed more than 866,000 people rely on private systems.
Drinking Water Inspectorate figures show 36,335 private water supply sites were reported across England during 2025, serving approximately 866,230 people.
Many use springs or boreholes rather than the mains network, with infrastructure sometimes shared between neighbouring properties or located on land belonging to somebody else.
Moving Compared warns that a working water supply when a property is purchased does not necessarily mean the homeowner has legally protected rights to continue using it.
NEIGHBOUR DISPUTE
The issue was highlighted by a case documented by the Drinking Water Inspectorate involving two properties in south-east England sharing a private supply controlled by one homeowner.
When that owner proposed disconnecting the neighbouring property in early 2025, the affected household discovered its deeds contained no formal agreement guaranteeing continued access to the supply.
Moving Compared says buyers of rural properties should establish who owns and controls the water infrastructure and whether title documents provide rights to use and maintain it before exchanging contracts.
Checks can also establish responsibility for maintaining pumps, filtration equipment and underground pipes and whether homeowners have the right to enter neighbouring land to carry out repairs.
WATER QUALITY
Water quality presents another potential issue for properties outside the mains network.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s 2025 findings identified 451 private supplies where E. coli and/or Enterococci had been detected, potentially affecting more than 16,000 people.
Moving Compared says buyers should request available water testing results and risk assessments, particularly where a supply has not been tested recently.
It adds that specialist inspections may be necessary to assess private water infrastructure because a conventional property survey may identify visible defects without establishing the condition of the entire system.
The issue can be particularly important when purchasing older rural properties and converted agricultural buildings where water arrangements may predate the division of land into separate homes.
