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[philip mcarthur]

I was digging a manhole in my drive and cut through a yellow plastic gas main 12" from the surface. There was no marking tape. Furthermore it is the supply to the property next door and has obviously been teed off my main.
This raises the following questions:-

1) Should it be on my property anyway. I thought all service supplies should be brought into each property independently.

2) Should it have been deeper (450mm).

3) Should there have been a marker tape above it to indicate its presence.

Any information regarding this would be much appreciated.

[htg engineer]

A gas service pipe should normally be laid with a minimum depth of cover of 375 mm in private ground and 450 mm in footpaths and highways.

So the depth was fine, as for markings, the bright yellow pipe is normally a clear enough indicator for someone digging.

I have dug and found gas pipes on a few occsaions, when digging you should have been prepared for gas pipes, water pipes, electrical cables etc etc, taking your time when digging, is the key.

You've been lucky - if it had been an electrical cable you may not have been here to type your post.


htg

[philip mcarthur]

[quote="htg engineer"]A gas service pipe should normally be laid with a minimum depth of cover of 375 mm in private ground and 450 mm in footpaths and highways.

So the depth was fine, as for markings, the bright yellow pipe is normally a clear enough indicator for someone digging.

I have dug and found gas pipes on a few occsaions, when digging you should have been prepared for gas pipes, water pipes, electrical cables etc etc, taking your time when digging, is the key.

You've been lucky - if it had been an electrical cable you may not have been here to type your post.


htg[/quote]

Thank you htg but 12" is 300mmm not 375 so the depth was not fine. The bright yellow colour of the pipe is not relevant when using a digger as even a 1"over of soil is enough to hide it. That is why tape 100mm above is expected.
I always check where the services are in the property and so will have a god idea of where they run. In tis case it was to the side of the property running at right angles to it as it was teed off my gas main. It should not have been there. Are you saying it is common practice for service providers to run pipes willy nilly over one's property to service another.