Blue MDPE Water Pipe

Unlike the old materials that were once used to carry water to our houses such as lead and steel, MDPE water pipe is lightweight and resistant to corrosion or attack from naturally occurring substances such as fungi or algae. Equally importantly it is also resistant to bacteria.

Our MDPE blue water pipe is manufactured from medium density polyethylene that is commonly used for potable water supply distribution. In this form, it is a very strong material that can withstand the large changes in pressure that are associated with the supply of water, and it will not lose its shape under stress. This type of blue water piping is impact resistant and resistant to most chemicals.

Our WRAS approved MDPE waterpipe for drinking water distribution is available in various sizes and lengths.

For an MDPE pipe ideal for irrigation, industrial or unclean water supply, see our Black MDPE Non-Potable Water Pipe.

How to Unfreeze Waterpipes

If your water pipe freezes, there are a few steps you can take to minimise the damage this might cause, and get your water supply working again as soon as possible.

Firstly, you should ensure that you turn off your water supply at the stopcock.
Next, it is crucial to check whether your pipe has burst, as this could mean the difference between a DIY fix, and calling a professional.
If the pipe is still intact, you can aim to thaw the pipe using a number of methods, such as a hot water soaked towel, hot water bottles, or a hairdryer on its lowest setting. You should never use a naked flame or blowlamp though.
Test and see if the water is building up at the plug hole (if it's not able to drain due to the freezing), and repeat the above steps if the answer is yes. If the pipes are draining, you can resume using your water supply as normal.

The best way to avoid frozen pipes in the future is prevention - insulating pipes in areas like lofts, ensuring your boiler is regularly serviced and fixing dripping taps can all add up and prevent frozen water pipes in the colder months.

How to Fix a Leaking Water Pipe

Leaks are inevitable at some point if you own or work on property, but luckily, most leaks are easy to identify and fix. We've written a handy guide to detecting and fixing a water leak.

How Deep are Water Pipes Buried in the UK?

In the UK, water pipes should be buried at a minimum depth of 750mm and maximum depth of 1350mm below ground level, and this installation should include a bed of sand, ducting and insulation. Water pipe must also be laid at least 350mm away from gas and electricity pipes for safety reasons.

If your installation requires deeper or shallower burial, you should contact your local water supplier for permission.

CHRISTMAS DELIVERY CUT-OFF DATES

STOCKED ITEMS

The cut-off for final orders of stocked items to be delivered before Christmas is midday Thursday 21st December 2023. Orders made up until this time should be delivered on Friday 22nd December 2023.

All orders made after this date and before Friday 29th December will be dispatched on Friday 29th December, but will not be delivered until Tuesday 2nd Jan.

Any orders made after Friday 29th December 2023 will be dispatched and delivered once normal service resumes on Tuesday January 2nd 2024.

For a full list of stocked ranges and lead times, please see the 'DELIVERY CHARGES AND EXTENDED LEAD TIMES' section.

*Guaranteed delivery refers to orders placed with no current delays present or known across the distribution network. Occasionally, some delays may occur due to issues outside of our control, such as adverse weather or issues at courier hubs.

ORDERS WITH PALLET CHARGES/ORDERS DIRECT FROM SUPPLIERS

Orders with pallet charges, or palletised goods direct from suppliers may be delivered before Christmas if the order is made before the current maximum lead time.

These orders will not be despatched on our dispatch day on Friday 29th December 2023, therefore please check the individual supplier pages below for specific lead times and how far in advance to order these items for delivery before Christmas.

DELIVERY CUT OFF TIMES

All orders are being dispatched as normal. Unless subject to exclusions, all orders received before 12pm will be delivered the next working day.

Please note, standard Cast Iron Gutter systems have a cut off time of 11am. Large or palletised orders have a cut off time of 12pm.

ORDER DAY	DELIVERY CUT OFF TIME	DELIVERY DAY*
Monday	12pm	Tuesday
Tuesday	12pm	Wednesday
Wednesday	12pm	Thursday
Thursday	12pm	Friday
Friday	12pm	Monday
Saturday	12pm	Tuesday
Sunday	12pm	Tuesday
Bank Holidays (except Bank Holiday Monday)	12pm	Next Working Day (Bank Holiday Monday orders will be delivered the following Wednesday)

*Delivery to non-Industrial Scotland, Northern Ireland, and CH, LL, and CA postcodes can sometimes take slightly longer, although this is dependent upon the exact location.

If we are unable to deliver your order within the above timeframe for any reason, we will contact you to arrange an alternative delivery day. We use overnight carriers, so we are unable to arrange or confirm an exact time of delivery.

Some special or non-stocked items on our website have extended lead-times, which are displayed on the product pages in question – see below for more details.

Whilst every reasonable effort shall be made to keep to a delivery date, we cannot be held liable for any losses, costs, damages, or expenses arising directly or indirectly out of any failure to meet any estimated delivery date.

In the unlikely event of a late delivery, we will be unable to compensate you for any consequential loss, so please do not organise any plant or labour before you have received your materials.

DELIVERY CHARGES AND EXTENDED LEAD TIMES

Orders over £1,000 excluding VAT will be delivered free of charge. Orders under this amount will incur a charge of £15.00 + VAT. This applies to most stocked items and some items that are supplied directly from manufacturers. Orders of stocked items are generally delivered in 1-3 working days.

Some stocked items will incur a bulky or pallet charge due to their extreme weights or lengths:

Bulky items - £45.00 + VAT charge placed on orders that contain one or more bulky products. These items will be marked as bulky during the checkout process.
Palletised items - £60.00 + VAT charge placed on orders that contain one or more items that need to be sent and delivered via a pallet. These items will be marked as palletised during the checkout process.

A full list of stocked items can be found here.

Certain items, usually those sent direct from manufacturers, incur additional delivery charges and an extended lead time regardless of the order value, due to the restrictions placed upon us by our carrier and the extreme weights/lengths. These charges are applied instead of the standard £15.00 + VAT charge if the order is valued under £1,000 excluding VAT.

The following product ranges have extended lead times or incur additional delivery charges. Please click on each individual range for specific details.

OUR COURIER PARTNERS

COURIER NAME	ORDER TRACKING	CONTACT INFORMATION	DELIVERY DAYS	NEXT DAY DELIVERY?
DX	Use online tracking portal	8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat Express: 0333 241 5700 Freight: 0333 241 1100	Mon-Fri	Yes
DHL	Use online tracking portal	7am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat 02476 937 770	Mon-Fri	Yes
Tuffnells	Use online tracking portal. Following recent notice of Tuffnells going into administration, please contact us if there are any issues with your order.	N/A	Mon-Fri	Yes
Magnus/Pallex	Please contact us directly	N/A	Mon-Fri 8am-6pm	Yes
Own Transport	Please contact us directly	Email: [email protected] Phone: 01206 931404	Mon-Sat	Yes

OUR DELIVERY AREA

LOCATION	RESTRICTIONS	ADDITIONAL CHARGES	NOTES
Mainland UK	N/A	No additional charges for location, product specific delivery charges still apply	N/A
Ireland Jersey Guernsey	We are currently unable to deliver to these areas	N/A	N/A
Isle of Man Isle of Wight Scottish Highlands Northern Ireland		Additional delivery charge applies. Amount dependent on weight and length of product ordered. PBSL Group will contact you regarding this charge after we receive your order.	N/A
Scottish Isles	N/A	Additional delivery charge applies. Amount dependent on weight and length of product ordered. PBSL Group will contact you regarding this charge after we receive your order.	Many of our customers in the Scottish Isles choose to have their order redirected to a local haulier such as Woody's Express or Hebrides Haulage in Inverness.

Certain direct suppliers are able to ship outside of these areas depending on product quantity and availability. Please get in touch with us regarding any such queries.

SPLIT DELIVERIES

If you have ordered a mixture of goods that come both from us and direct from our manufacturing partners, you will be advised of this in your dispatch email. As the order is coming from two locations, you will receive two different deliveries. Delivery on direct items can have extended lead times and will need someone present to check and sign for the goods.

Occasionally, we don't have all items in stock at our main warehouse. If this is the case, we will endeavour to send the stock the same day from one of our other branches, in order to not delay delivery of the complete order. This may lead to a split delivery, dependant on the courier being used. We will contact you if there is going to be a delay due to this.

LABOUR AND MACHINERY

Please do not book machinery or labour until your goods have been received and checked over. Whilst every effort is made by our couriers to deliver your parcel within the stated timeframe, Drainage Sales cannot be held responsible for any additional costs incurred by delays outside of our control.

CHECKING AND SIGNING FOR ORDERS

SIGNED FOR POLICY – T&CS

All orders should be signed for. If you are unable to sign for your delivery, you can arrange with us for a neighbour to take delivery of your order. You can also advise us of a safe place where your order can be left, although we cannot take responsibility for any shortages or obvious damages.

Please ensure that you always check the number of packages that you are signing for. If there is an incorrect number of packages or any package appears damaged, you should note this on the signature panel and advise us so that we can rectify the issue as quickly as possible. Once goods have been signed for as being received ‘complete and in good condition’, any claims are not covered by the carrier’s insurance company.

Signing for goods as ‘unchecked’ makes any claims inadmissible, so please check the number of packages and look for any signs of any damage, noting any issues on the signature panel. Although the delivery drivers are busy, they are contractually obliged to wait whilst you check your delivery.

WHAT IF I CAN’T WAIT IN ALL DAY?

There is a ‘Notes’ section of the Basket review page where you can request for your goods to be left in a safe location – just tell us where to leave the order. Please not that we cannot take responsibility for any shortages or obvious damages if goods have not been signed for.

Please note that deliveries made by DHL (these are generally small orders with no pipe or bulky products) cannot be left in a safe location. You will be advised which carrier will be delivering your order by email at the point of dispatch.

REFUNDS, RESTOCKING AND RETURNS

RESTOCKING CHARGES

Please note that if returned with no fault of the product of the manufacturer, some of our products incur a restocking charge:

PRODUCT	RESTOCKING FEE (% OF PRODUCT PRICE)	COLLECTION CHARGE
Copper and Zinc Gutters	20%	£70
Storm Building Products	15%	Yes – depending on order value
Guardian Building Products	15%	Yes – depending on order value, plus return carriage charge if required
Clear Amber Products	30%	N/A
Shower Wall Cladding	35%	N/A
Painted Aluminium products	MADE TO ORDER – CANNOT BE RETURNED	MADE TO ORDER – CANNOT BE RETURNED
Cast Iron: Premier Primed Standard Rainwater, Premier Primed Sand Cast Rainwater, Premier LCC Soil, Halifax Soil & Drain Systems Fittings Only	25%	N/A
Cast Iron: Premier Extra (Black) Standard Rainwater, Premier Extra (Black) Sand Cast Rainwater, Mech 416 Soil System Fittings Only, Traditional Express Soil System	35%	N/A
FH Brundle Steel Fencing	20%	N/A

For further information and clarification of the legislation surrounding the return of goods, and associated costs, please refer to regulation 35 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

RETURNS AND REFUNDS

Please read our Returns & Refunds policy for further details.