Old 1 inch water pipe unearthed...can I cut & cap?

Igotadose

Putting in a new front garden wall, and cleared out the old berm today. Under the berm we found a 1" water pipe that looks like it's made from rubber, not PVC or metal.

Our property is the corner lot, and at least 1 other water pipe (an old cattle watering pipe for a shed) runs through the yard, along the ground, and a neighbor uses it in his shed. That pipe is 1/2" diameter, and there's a shutoff for it on the corner.

We can't find a shutoff for this 1" pipe, but this is on the Dingle peninsula in the Gaeltacht area, and there are a lot of old roads & farms around, and there may never have been a shutoff. Problem is, at some point maybe 15-20 years ago, it seems like the pipe was mended, there's a plastic union in it, but that's leaking. Until today, we never knew why that part of the property was boggy, now we know, the union's been leaking probably since we moved in, in 2014.

The neighbors think that the pipe was the water supply to an old Decca (?) radio station that might've been active in the 40s but is just a bunch of derelict buildings now, there were only a couple of houses back then and they probably had wells.

Now, everyone's on mains water. The pipe is still carrying water (hence the leak and loosening the old union causes it to gush). Not sure where it's going to.

I called Irish water about the leak, they'll get back to me but I doubt soon. What I really want is to remove the pipe completely if it doesn't supply anyone. It's on my property, and will be right next to my new wall with a risk of leaking. It had been buried somewhat, but the area with the union was boggy, now I know why.

Any ideas on how to trace the pipe to its source? Would Irish Water have the info, which might be historical at this point, about the pipe? Am I within my rights to simply cap the pipe as its on my property? I'd cap it as close to the source as I could get.

Thanks, sorry for the long question.

antoinolachtnai

I think you are going to have to be pragmatic about this. You should continue your enquiries.

If no one comes up with any answers you could consider capping it.

You don’t have a ‘right’ to cap it. On the other hand whoever it belongs to doesn’t have a ‘right’ to flood your land and waste water.

Before you cap it permanently it might be possible to stop the flow temporarily, and see if there is any objection.

If you cap it and someone objects afterwards, they can always reconnect the pipe.

The major flaw with these plans is that the pipe is probably deteriorating. Once you cap it there is a good chance it will leak somewhere else in a few years.

Igotadose

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I think you are going to have to be pragmatic about this. You should continue your enquiries.

If no one comes up with any answers you could consider capping it.

You don’t have a ‘right’ to cap it. On the other hand whoever it belongs to doesn’t have a ‘right’ to flood your land and waste water.

Before you cap it permanently it might be possible to stop the flow temporarily, and see if there is any objection.

If you cap it and someone objects afterwards, they can always reconnect the pipe.

The major flaw with these plans is that the pipe is probably deteriorating. Once you cap it there is a good chance it will leak somewhere else in a few years.

Thanks.

There's another pipe (can't get away from the things) that's much smaller and is currently in use in a old cattle shed and, as I learned today, supplies water to a neighbors new house as well. This is surprising - it's a small pipe in very poor shape, regularly springs leaks (I fix it when I see them), and I'm surprised the new house could be approved with such an inadequate supply. This small pipe just lays on the ground in places and runs along another old berm round the property, back behind the new house (where it's been teed into the new house), and on to the old cattle shed. The owner of the cattle shed has said if that pipe ever goes away he'll gladly connect up to the mains water he has elsewhere on the property - the shed's not been used for cattle for decades, was modernized and now he has his laundry in there. These old pipes aren't metered so the neighbor just uses them for free water.

I've repeatedly told the neighbor with the new house, that the small pipe isn't going to last, but they ignore the warnings. Anyway, it'll be moved aside from the new wall and deteriorate even faster. The small pipe can be turned off at a shutoff valve.

I'll ask around a few more neighbors if they know the history of the 1" pipe and whether it's in use.

Jimmy.

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

I think you are going to have to be pragmatic about this. You should continue your enquiries.

If no one comes up with any answers you could consider capping it.

You don’t have a ‘right’ to cap it. On the other hand whoever it belongs to doesn’t have a ‘right’ to flood your land and waste water.

Before you cap it permanently it might be possible to stop the flow temporarily, and see if there is any objection.

If you cap it and someone objects afterwards, they can always reconnect the pipe.

The major flaw with these plans is that the pipe is probably deteriorating. Once you cap it there is a good chance it will leak somewhere else in a few years.

One is well within their rights to protect their property. Cap pipe, no drama as mentioned above will happen.