Possible outdoor water pipe hidden behind earth

GolfR

Hi all

I bought a house just over a year ago and I’ve not long started on the garden. There’s a small area where there was a load of untidy looking earth and I’ve cleared a lot of it away however I’ve now uncovered what looks to me like a mains water pipe. It’s blue and the meter is on the road above in line with the pipe which is what makes me think it’s water but I could be wrong! Can anyone please identify it from the attached picture?

From what I’ve read online, if I want to move it, this is my responsibility as it’s on my property. Is this the case? Any ideas what to do with it if it is my responsibility? I’d like to completely clear this area and then get someone in to flatten the ground or maybe do some kind of decking but I’d rather get rid of all the earth myself first. I moved the rock that I’ve circled in red and the pipe carries on down behind it. I’m not in the know with regards to any kind of complicated diy but I do enjoy having a go where it’s safe to.

Thanks for any advice

grumbler

The only blue that I see are fittings, but yes, water pipes are blue and are supposed to be at least 60cm (75cm?) deep in the ground to prevent freezing. Is it?

If it's water, you can reroute it if you wish.

summer_daze009

Am I missing something here? It looks like the horizontal and vertical pipes are both open ended rather than one continuous pipe? Is that correct?

grumbler

summer_daze009 said:

Am I missing something here? It looks like the horizontal and vertical pipes are both open ended rather than one continuous pipe? Is that correct?

No, it's 90-degree metal elbow

GolfR

grumbler said:

The only blue that I see are fittings, but yes, water pipes are blue and are supposed to be at least 60cm (75cm?) deep in the ground to prevent freezing. Is it?

If it's water, you can reroute it if you wish.

The pipe that is behind the circled rock is blue so I imagine this means it’s water! I couldn’t tell you if it’s that deep, I’m a bit afraid to go digging in case I do some damage. To reroute it would it cost me or would the water board be liable due to it being exposed? And if it is at my expense, would it be an expensive job?

summer_daze009

grumbler said:

No, it's 90-degree metal elbow

Ok thanks. I couldn’t see it properly on my phone 

ThisIsWeird

GR, that pipe is 'yours'. Everything within your property is your responsibility, and I think it may even include the part outside your boundary up to the water meter?

And, yes, it should be at a minimum depth in order to protect it and guard against freezing.

Choices? Tunnel a new hole for it at a greater depth, from the meter up to where it is safe inside your property. That won't be fun. Or, if the exposed pipe will end up fully hidden behind your new decking, then a non-conforming (water regs) 'solution' could be to insulate it to a high degree, and box/brick it over so that it is well protected. I cannot recommend you do this, of course, as it wouldn't conform.

Can you confirm what the exposed pipe and elbow are made from? The elbow appears to be MDPE, but the pipe looks like a metal of some sort? Copper? Lead? Iron? Could you clean/scrape the pipe to determine what it is? If it's lead - soft shiny light-silvery-grey metal - then I'd suggest def do the right thing and replace it, right up to your house.