So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

[FTG-05]

At some time in the past, the land I live on was two different parcels and owned by two different people. And one time, had two different houses on it. Let's call the houses/property Upper and Lower (I now live in the Lower house/property/parcel). Both houses existed at the same time and some time in the last 10-15 years, one of the houses burnt down (Peyton Place drama-lama - let's not go there). Time passed on and eventually, both parcels were bought by the same person, which in time I became owner of both, now all one parcel, not two distinct pieces of property per the survey ordered by me and as recorded by the state of TN.

My water meter is a quarter mile from my house in front of my neighbor's house, with another water meter right next to it (not hers, her meter is in her front yard). I believe this other water meter is for the other/Upper part of my property. So it appears I have two water meters with two separate and distinct water systems on my property.

Unfortunately, except for the water meter, I have no idea where the other (former separate) parcel's water system/piping is laid nor where it goes other than in general (i.e. to my pole barn area).

The ground here is very rocky. To dig with a hand shovel or post hole diggers is an excellent example of frustration and poor digging results and progress.

So without digging, is there an easy, cheap and/or productive way of finding out where a PVC/poly water line goes or is laid? The original house builder for the Upper house is still alive and lives in the area, but I haven't had any success in getting a hold of him, nor know if he knows or remembers where the pipe is laid. The second owners of the Upper house are not available, so that's out.

Thanks for any help and/or suggestions.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Re: So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

I have been a board member of our rural water system for 25 years.

I don't know of any way to locate buried poly or pvc pipe. I would suggest you call the water company, and ask them to turn on the second meter, and then go find the wet spot. If the pipe is not capped off.

Or, just ask them to remove the second meter and just don't worry about the old pipe.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Re: So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

I've had decent results using this:
Amazon.com: NOYAFA NF-816 Underground Cable Wire Locator Locate Pet Fence Wires, Sprinkler Control Wires, Metal Pipes, Electrical Wires, Telephone Wire, Coax Cablewith Earphone: Computers & Accessories

It needs something metal to attach the transmitter to. If you can access one end of the pipe, you can usually send an electrician's snake or a plumber's snake pretty far down the pipe. Then you attach the transmitter to the snake and walk around with the receiver.

If you're lucky a locater wire was buried with the pipe and you can just use that.

 

[lutt]

It depends on the how many years ago they buried it. The rural water service might able to help, someone could still work there that was around when they buried it. You could witch it , for some reason not every one can do that. I can, got a friend of mine that can't, go figure. LUTT

 

[cmyoung2]

Re: So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

Find someone that can witch it, How it works I have no idea, but it does. I usually can find water or power lines fairly well. My other sure fire way to find a water line is to rent a trencher, seems to work best if the line has water and your wife is using it

 

[woodlandfarms]

Re: So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

go dig around the water meter. On the side heading to the now defunct house, look for a wire. If you find one you are in luck. You can hire (or buy) wire trace system. This should, if not cut, take you to the end.

If not, I have heard of people injecting water with metal and then tracing that. Not cheap. Probably cheaper just to dig it up and run a new one.

Just found this

PVC Pipe Detector | PVC pipe locator | AML PVC Pipe Detector | Buried PVC Pipe | Locate Underground PVC Pipe :: PVC Pipe Detector

Sorry. Quicksand had the same and I did not read it.

 

[paulharvey]

First step would be clean out the meter box and see what type of pipe is coming out of the customer side of the meter yoke. That old, there is a real good chance that it is 3/4" galvanized steel, probably nearly completely rusted from inside and out by now. If it's galvanized, or much less likely, copper, it can be located with fairly simple means. If it's poly or pvc, you can still dig say 2-3 feet around on back side of the meter to see what direction it goes; assuming it's not in the RoW or easement on neighbors property.... wire is very rarely used on the customer side simply because it's not the utility's responsibility to locate or maintain it.

Truth is just retapping the main, service lateral from main to meter, meter box, meter yoke, and wire really isn't that big of a deal. No idea what they charge in your area for a wet tap, or who's responsibility it would be there. The less the city does, probably the cheaper. A 1" saddle, corporation stop, and wet tap literally takes about 20 minutes once the hole is dug, and that includes time for a sausage biscuit

 

[Cat_Driver]

Re: So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

I can swear by the Dowsing method. I needed ti find a 2" pvc I cut up a hanger and went for it. Sure enough I found our which way it went, and it made a strange turn, so I distrusted it. I found the end and later found out the strange turn was spot on.

 

[forgeblast]

Re: So, it appears I have two water meters & two water systems - that's the good news

can you use Tennessee 811 to have them come out and mark where they are?

 

[paulharvey]

If you find it, or just re hook up to it; make sure your being billed as Irrigation water, because otherwise you will be paying sewer fees on barn water; unless for some reason the barn has sewer...

You may be better off simply calling the utility and ordering an irrigation meter set right next to your potable water meter. Probably no need to even re tap the main; just tee off right before the potable meter, and run to new box and yoke.

Btw, the utility should be able to tell you for sure if the meter in question is for that other lot. They have to know who to bill...