Stop tap in street, not sure if leaking

[dormermike]

Hello

I lifted the cover on the incoming mains water stop tap which is under the pavement outside my house and the ground around the valve and the plastic enclosure is very much wetter than I would expect. Before I call the water company for advice, I wondered if this is normal. We've had a bit of rain but not as much as would account for this. There was a sponge "bung" which was not seated correctly (i've now put it in properly to seal) but it still seems a lot of moisture. I poked a screwdriver into the "soil" which was very loose and managed to hook a couple of worms..

For background, I'm trying to solve a minor-ish interior damp floor problem which has culminated in my digging several holes down one side of my house as the ground is always wet on that side of the house - could still be drains (cctv booked for sep) but on the offchance I decided to have a looksee under the mains cover today.

Is it normal or could it be a minor leak? The pipe (which i've exposed nearer my house is blue plastic. The valve itself works as a plumber used it about 6 months ago as we had the internal stop valve replaced (leaking).

Thanks
Mike

Untitled

• dormermike
• 19 Aug 2013
• 1

EDIT: cover is not broken and was seated properly, had to pry it up with a screwdriver. Underside of the cover was wet, like condensation.

 

[Agile]

usually 600 mm down its pretty wet.

But depends on the lie of the land.

What are the levels around your house?

You could listen with a broomstick to the blue plastic plug at the bottom of the hole. Practice with an indoor tap first to learn what a small leak sounds like!

Tony

 

[dormermike]

Thanks

Interesting that you say 600mm - the test holes i've dug are around 600mm or so but the depth of the stop tap seemed a lot less, and a lot wetter, say around 300mm. I can go back out and measure if it helps?

Ground around the house is all well below DPC level. TBH I've been investigating this on and off for 2 years and have been round in circles a bit too

Drainage in the area in question is poor, i poured 4 litres of water into the bottom of one of my test holes and an hour later it was still a fair bit of water present, estimate around 50%. I don't think the water table is showing (it didnt fill up over night anyway, and others havent shown water at bottom in six months). The sides of the pits tend to be soggy though and the clay itself seemed wet.

Am starting to suspect poor drainage excacerbated by a leak or two.

Thanks
Mike

 

[Tom1981]

Generally they don't leak, lots around here are completely flooded with water. Mains pressure would fill that up if there's poor drainage.

Try and clean around the stopcock a bit, no good having compost down there.

 

[dormermike]

Presumably the stopcock is the bit on the right, just curious what is the blue cover for?

Tapping the pipe with a screwdriver and the lot sounds hollow - is there anything holding it in place or is the assembly essentially just floating there?

 

[Tom1981]

That would be for a meter, I assume you're on rates. The tap is on the right.

 

[dormermike]

I am on a meter, but the meter itself is inside the house. Which is great if a leak occurs in the garden, i guess, hehe