Do Utility Services Follow Sloping Garden?

[DaveFix]

Hi all,

I was planting a tree in my front garden yesterday and put the pickaxe straight through the buried Virgin Media cable, probably on the first strike. It was only buried 4 inches below the surface. Quickly repaired with satellite cable connectors however, it's got me thinking about my future plans...

At some point I want to dig out some of the front garden and create a driveway. The garden slopes from the street upwards to the house. I'm wondering how the utility services are installed on a sloping garden.

Do they remain horizontal until reaching the house and then rise? Or do they follow the gradient at a set distance from the surface?

The house was built in the 1950s, and it's just electricity and Severn Trent water (gas comes from the side).

I'm trying to factor in whether I'll need to pay for them to be altered.

 

[pidgeon1]

Depends where they laid their supplies when the house was being built normally it was straight to the house slab.

You could ask them if they would visit and give an idea where their services run.

Water service normally runs direct line stop tap to house stop tap inside.

My slops and the water is 6 feet plus in the run at it's deepest. I have taken out a homeserve to cover pipes and drains £1 a mouth first year, already had a bust water service it was 4 feet deep near the bungalow so Got my moneys worth already.

 

[scbk]

Water should be 2/3/4ft down to be frost proof - different rules in different areas, but I've seen it just below the surface (and the pipe never freezes!).

Normally they would follow the gradient, but the ground levels might have already been changed since services were laid.

Usually the electric will help you find the cables if you're planning on digging, supply a plan of where it might be, and also come out with a cat scanner and mark the run, and give a clue as to the depth.



Phone cables can be anywhere, often not even buried.
They call it "self burying cable"