Depth of incoming water main

[Murdoch]

Guys

Could do with some guidance. Our incoming main has sprung a large leak (we are not on a meter fortunately) and I've got a builder mate doing the ground work for the plumber doing the new pipe etc.

The existing gas, water and BT cables all run in the same "route" and they are only about 400mm down - is this an acceptable depth for the new pipe or do we need to dig down further?


Thanks

 

[macackau]

Off the top of my head I thought a water main had to be 750mm deep

 

[rpm]

^
+1

 

[macackau]

Yep, 750mm deep

Go to page 4

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/tw/co...w-water-supply-regulations-guidance-notes.pdf

 

[chris watkins]

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/tw/co...w-water-supply-regulations-guidance-notes.pdf
Please check this out (min 750mm max 1250mm)

 

[Murdoch]

I can see the point of the regs with a new build but what about a 35 year old house??

To complicate matters the incoming main crosses my neighbours front garden!

 

[chris watkins]

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/tw/co...w-water-supply-regulations-guidance-notes.pdf
Please check this out (min 750mm max 1250mm)

It is 1350mm NOT 1250mm Max , SORRY

Thank you Simon F for pointing out the error of my ways, I would like to claim it was a typo but the truth is that been out of the loop now for less than a year & I am already getting things wrong, It just proves the use it or loose it thing, either that or it is the senile dementia setting in .:!blank:

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

I can see the point of the regs with a new build but what about a 35 year old house??

To complicate matters the incoming main crosses my neighbours front garden!

The point is your laying a new cold main not working on an existing pipe, your duty bound to update what your doing. You can go above the 750mm but you need to talk with the water utility company about it.

 

[REDSAW]

i had a job at a burst main before the stopcock. the water board came as it is their domain as the boundary cock had dissapeared!
they were going to charge £440 to repair until i queried why the main is only 400mm down. they did it for free!!!!

 

[AWheating]

I can see the point of the regs with a new build but what about a 35 year old house??

To complicate matters the incoming main crosses my neighbours front garden!

the depth is to protect the pipe from freezing etc....

your water main can not/ should not of been routed across other properties as it belongs to you. Sadly this is still done by many builders to save on installation time.

 

[snowhead]

your water main can not/ should not of been routed across other properties as it belongs to you.

Unless you have an existing established right of access for services across others' land

 

[12poi]

Typically what utilities now want is for each individual property to have its own metered connection trenched across your own property. For a number of reasons its to your advantage to have this arrangement.

Are you maybe on a row supply?

Do your other utilities cross the neighbour's land?