Underground Water Pipe Locator

As an underground service locator, we can find underground water lines in most situations. However they can be tricky.

The best first course of action is for you to request Dial Before You Dig (DBYD) plans for the area you’re interested in. Always keep in mind that with Dial Before You Dig you aren’t likely to get any information on private services, though they are very useful for working in public areas.

Once you’ve determined that there are underground water pipes in your area, you need to figure out if they’re made from a conductive pipe material.

Common Conductive Water Pipe Materials

• Copper
• Galvanised steel
• Cast Iron

Common Non Conductive Water Pipe Materials

• Poly Pipe (Polyurethane)
• PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)

Now just because the riser (the part of the pipe you can see coming out of the ground) is made from copper, it doesn’t mean the pipes under the ground are. Generally the riser will join into a more durable and cheaper pipe material once its under the ground. As a rule of thumb, it’s very likely that any underground water pipe laid in the last 30 years is Poly or PVC.

There’s one easy way to find out if you can electro-magnetically detect underground water lines, hook up your pipe locator and put a signal into it. You’ll discover whether or not you can trace the pipe (telling you that it’s not a conductive pipe material) and have your answer. If it isn’t a conductive pipe material, there are a few other options including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and dowsing rods or divining rods (in very particular cases).

Engaging an underground locating service will always maximise your chances of locating water pipes underground. Their experience will quickly determine the next best course of action when electro-magnetic detection fails.