How do I find out where the drains, gas and electric pipes and cables run under my garden?
Question:I'm putting a fence up and don't want to drive a metal spike through anything important!
Answers:
hire a cable locator from a hire shop, but services always run under the pavement. you may at most crack a sewer pipe thats defunct unless you live in a rural area and have a septic tank. point of reference water pipes are blue, electric cables are black gas is orange. but as a lot of power and utility companies rent services from one another they may vary but if you see or any pipes or cables of any colour stop and wipe of the top layer of dirt hear any kind of hissing phone the fire brigade. trust me nothing is safe on any site or home build or renovation these days. plans are wrong engineers are wrong ect..
the city planners office can help.
They have this information on your neighbourhood survey.
However, you need to call your cable and phone companies because that information for underground cable is not included.
Good luck
YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY WITH THE DEEDS TO YOUR PROPERTY...FAILING THAT VISIT YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL OFFICE AND ASK THERE
Call your utility companies. They come out for free and mark the ground with a light spray that stays on a few days.
I presume that the your fence will be in the back garden, generally gas, water mains and the main electrical supply cable don't normally run in back gardens as they come off from the mains running under the road or the pavement. The deed plans of your house will only detail below ground drainage, these are quite often not that acurate. Probably the best way to check is lift up the nearest manhole in your garden or your neighbour's and look where the drains are running to or from. You'll then have a good idea what is in the ground of your proposed pond dig. The only 100% way to check is to pay for a proper a ground survey with a guy with a hand held cat scanner. This will cost quite few quid.
Ask at your local council office or service provider
I don't know where you live, but here in Illinois we have something called JULIE (that's a group of utility companies who have their stuff buried under ground) they will come out and mark your land where there are buried underground utilities. Call one of the utility companies and ask them about it.
depending on your state there should be companies that locate the utilities. i work for one in ohio that does that.
there should be a phn number on your electric meter or a phone ped in your yard that says call before you dig.
google utility locators in your area
My pick can find any underground pipe.
Look at where the offending pipes etc appear at your house and take the simplest route from there to the pavement, (No one digs a trench the awkward way) Or call in a tradesman and rely on his Public Liability Insurance to cover any ballsups.
I remember seing a council workman who was gaily digging away with his little JCB and managed to break the gas, water, electricity, telephone and drain pipe in quick succession. He sat on the trench edge waiting for help to arrive and suddenly took up a large hammer and smashed the otherwise untouched main sewer pipe saying. "I may as well go for a full house!"
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