Finding a lost stopcock

[chrisg3103]

I have started getting into the ground with my new garage project and I'm pretty sure I have located most of the services, except the water supply.

This is the map Scottish water sent me, after I paid their ransom.

I'm at number 8 up the top, not very helpful....
My incoming pipe comes up beside the soil pipe, so wondering if it would follow the same route?

Or would it likely be a straight line under the house from the road?
Other houses have external stopcocks so must be one under the drive somewhere, already found a buried rodding point under a path around the back. Any way to find a plastic water main other than dowsing rods?

 

[johnik]

me being old skool would go with dowsing, and yes all you non believers, it does work in my experience

 

[JOEPRO]

This should help

How to find underground water pipes - Pipe location specialist

A specialist company in utility tracing and pipe location. We accurately locate & find underground water pipes and drain pipes.

theleakdetective.co.uk

 

[pptom]

What age is the house and surroundings? That's critical
I'm ex water board, have been to houses where it has been ducted under from the front, but not usual, mostly will be around the side.
External stopcocks will have a metal lid or a plastic lid with a metal insert so they can be found with a cheap metal detector, that's what we used to use. There should be an external stoptap somewhere and you can work from here
We used to get called all the time to find external stoptaps for people. It was a free service, so I assume the same for you.
The water Co's also have kit to trace such as thumpers which create a water hammer noise on the pipe which can be picked up externally.

 

[minimutly]

I'd try a metal detector first, look for the cover.

 

[Mark 5]

I have started getting into the ground with my new garage project and I'm pretty sure I have located most of the services, except the water supply.

This is the map Scottish water sent me, after I paid their ransom.

I'm at number 8 up the top, not very helpful....
My incoming pipe comes up beside the soil pipe, so wondering if it would follow the same route?

Or would it likely be a straight line under the house from the road?
Other houses have external stopcocks so must be one under the drive somewhere, already found a buried rodding point under a path around the back. Any way to find a plastic water main other than dowsing rods?

I have a similar issue, I have no idea how the supply is run and would dearly love to find the street stopcock, I think it has been buried and access point tarmac over.

Assuming lid is metal, at some time soon, I shall sweep area with either a metal detector or knee pads on, a large scrap loudspeaker.

 

[Stupoty]

I'd try a metal detector first, look for the cover.

You can hire the CAT detectors , seem very popular for detecting stuff underground such as services etc.

(hire place was just what came up on google to give an example)

Hire CAT Detectors To Locate Underground Services

We hire Cable Avoidance Tools (CAT detectors) to locate underground services. Find buried pipes and cables before you start to dig.

fossewayhire.com

Stu

 

[Barking Mat]

It's not in the road or pavement is it ?

 

[8ob]

Does it need to be found? Could throw caution to the wind ,keep some squeeze offs and pipe joiners handy in case you happen across it.

Bob

 

[colnerov]

Why are you assuming the pipe is plastic? How old is the property?

 

[chrisg3103]

Property is about 1979, so quite modern, in my opinion.
The internal stopcock is piped in black plastic, from somewhere under the ground.

Metal detector sounds like an idea, but so does phoning the water board, assumed it was my responsibility as its on my drive?
Definitely not on the road, the ones I've spied round about are all in the gardens, except everybody paves over Thier gardens for parking and not many have kept the chamber. No idea what used to be garden at my house, it's a sea of monoblock

Does it need to be found? Could throw caution to the wind ,keep some squeeze offs and pipe joiners handy in case you happen across it.

Bob

I like your thinking but id rather not have the theatrics of a makeshift fountain and me fumbling with clamps give the neighbours a good show

 

[Morrisman]

Don’t trust any diagrams the water board give you, they’re just rough guesses done late on a Friday afternoon.
The sewer plans for my old house said the main sewer for the whole cul de sac ran right under the centre of my house. So I built my 6x8 concrete garage off to the side……
Turned out the main sewer was also off to the same side, 25’ from where the plan showed.

 

[Erie Fred]

Easy Peasy.
Don't pay your water bill.
Someone will be out shortly to find the valve and turn it off.....

 

[qwakers]

yeah, no they arent allowed to do that.

Water Arrears Debt - Can I Be Shut Off? - Debt Guardians

Getting Help With Water Costs Your water bill is a priority bill and so you should be paying this before any unsecured debts. Can my water be shut off? No, it cannot. Water is a necessity so cannot be cut-off for domestic households. If you are a tenant, then there is a slight risk of … Read more

debtguardians.co.uk

water is one of the utilitys that is protected. you cant be shut off for non payment in the uk.

 

[Blobber]

Pretty sure if you ring them up and tell them you cant isolate the supply they will come round and sort it out FOC

 

[pptom]

As far as I'm remember, the water board are duty bound to provide a stoptap at or near the boundary, it is classed as their property, so they have the burden to find it and make sure it works. If there isn't one they should fit one.
I'd go this route, just tell them you can't find it and if your lucky and free with the tea then the technician who comes around will give you a hand or an idea where your service runs.

 

[brightspark]

should be a stopcock outside your property just ask the waterboard to come out and find it as you want to turn water opff in your property they will probably do it for nothing if its in lead they deffo will

 

[gaz1]

with many stop cocks on old propertys its take note on where the neighbours stopcocks are and start looking at your own property for where yours is going to be

many are on the causeway outside of the property whilst some are on your own property

silly owners have a habbit of blocking covering up there stopcocks or even the mains sewer rodding points

outside causeway stops have a habbit of being full of dirt there a git to dig out with finger tips ours are much deeper than that as ours need an extended stop cock bar

to note we have 5 stop cocks 3 of them are still in lead whilst the original was lead pipe and shared between 3 propertys and if used robbed the other 2 propertys of water

 

[chrisg3103]

Easy Peasy.
Don't pay your water bill.
Someone will be out shortly to find the valve and turn it off.....

Don't tend to have a separate water bill and meter in Scotland anyway, we have plenty of free sky water! just lumped into council tax.

I'll give Scottish water a phone tomorrow and see what they say, although now I've been looking at metal detectors I feel I need one anyway

 

[Kram]

I suggest not asking the water board as its likely they will want to fit a smart meter as a result, assuming you dont already have one.

Our stop cock is too deep for them to bother with but they sent installers a few times to check. We dont want one!