water main leak in garden

[ceecee]

hi, can anyone give me some advice as to how to repair a leak on the mains water pipe in my garden, please?
We're digging footings for a wall and have discovered a damp patch of soil, so presume there's a leak, but haven't got down that far as yet!
I believe it's an alkathene pipe, as the mains coming into the house is, the house was built in the 1950s.
Many thanks in advance

 

[big-all]

keep digging until you find the source it could be a soakaway ground water water table or indeed a leak
untill you expose the area or see the water leaking you wont know

 

[Charnwood]

If it is old black alkathene, Philmac fittings are designed to fit it without adaptors. They do a slip coupler, which you might find useful.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Or it could be sewage!

Don't forget to wash your hands.

Andy

 

[muggles]

Do you have a water meter? If so, turn your stopcock off inside your house, then look at the meter and see if it's still moving. If it is, your mains is leaking, if it isn't then it isn't

 

[keego]

If you're not on a meter then fill a glass full to the top with water, turn your outside stoptap off, then immerse the outlet of the tap in the glass of water then open the tap. If the level of water in the glass goes down then you have a leak.