Large utility pipe in my backyard?

Question

Need some help with this one... we were digging out (gently) some of the hillside behind our house and uncovered a LARGE pipe. We contacted the utility companies but so far no one is willing to claim the pipe. It is very close to our home, actually under the future site of our patio. We found a small line near this pipe and think that this line running towards our house was extending from this pipe but it was not attached to anything on the house side. This smaller line was in poor condition and we ripped it out of the ground. However, we have the very large line to deal with. The problem is, we want to landscape and put in a footer for a retaining wall and this pipe is in the way. We could potentially go around it but I am still concerned as to what it is. How can I find out and if none of the utilities want to claim it? How can we find out if it is a live utility line, without blowing anything up??

Answer 1

How large is large?  6 inches thick?  60 inches?  What is it made of?  Copper?  Steel/iron?  Cement?  Can you hear anything moving through it?  Have you found a joint where it connects to another section?  What direction does it run?  Do you smell anything?  Can you go down in that direction and see a sign at the next street/road where it would cross, and find a "Buried pipeline" sign there?  Now try going the other way and look for another sign.  Draw a line between the 2 signs on a map - does it go near your house?

If you have a petroleum tank farm within 50 or 100 miles, call them and ask them if they have a gas pipeline running through your area.  These are supposed to be buried deep, but may not always be.  A farmer a few miles north of me hit one with his plow awhile ago, and had a huge flame shooting out of his field.  If you can't find a tank farm, ask at your local gas stations where their supply tank trucks fill up.

Go to your local township drain commissioner, city planning office, zoning enforcement office, and any other similar office that you can think of.  Take pictures of the pipe from several angles.  It might be a left-over from many years ago when your lot was farm country, and this was how they drained it to make it tillable.  

Answer 2

You should NEVER dig anything, not even a garden or a mailbox hole without first having all of the utilities on your property located and marked.

There is actually a fairly new Federal Law that requires you to have your property marked for pipeline locations prior to doing any digging or excavating.

This may not be a regular Utility Line, it may be a privately owned Pipeline; check with your local governing body. They should have a list of all pipeline companies that have lines in your area.

There is also a new "National One Call Locating Number"; try calling 811 and give them your property info.

Answer 3

You need to contact the City, township or county managers office and tell them of the situation, You can try the equalization office in most county buildings there should be blue prints, also you might have to have an engineer to tell you what the symbols mean, such as sewer, potable electric, gas missile what ever heck it could be oil,

Answer 4

Look in the phone book in the front for underground utility locating. Call them and ask for locates for underground utilities. It is a free service. They will identify any subscribing utilities and send them to locate. You should have done this first before doing any digging. Do not do any more digging AT ALL until this is done. Next go to the local clerk and recorders office and look up your deed and anything relating to your deed in the subdivision books. Sometimes called plat books. If there are any right of ways that have been granted in the past and you damage the line in any way YOU are responsible for the repair and replacement which could BANKRUPT you. Or it could be an old piece of junk pipe that happened to get buried on the land. Be cautious though and investigate this before running the risk of financial ruin.

Answer 5

Electrical Inspector is correct. You should not dig until you determine where all the utilities are. Your city should send someone out to mark the location of the utilities.  Do not make any holes in the pipe to see if there's anything in it. You must find out what it is before you go any further.

Several years ago I need to cut down a large oak tree in my  front yard. The city has a free service to mark the location of the utilities. The tree was directly over the gas main, the telephone, water to the house and cable. So we could not have the stump ground out.

The property owner would responsible for repairing any damage done by digging, grinding out stumps etc. to the utilities or neighbors property.

  

Answer 6

You dont say what kind of pipe it is, so if you can absolutely rule out flammables, open a small hole in the pipe with hammer and chisel, see what is in it, and proceed from there. If it is empty sledge hammer and partner saw should demo nicely. If you find something in the pipe that will dictate your next move. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

It may just be a drain pipe for your yard. Landscapers will put them in to route water away from a slope, but without more information it's hard to say.