How Deep Does A Water Pipe Need To Be In The Ground?

The general depth of underground water pipes is 12 inches below the frost line in your specific geographical area.

If you are building a home or are having some construction work done on your property and you come across water lines that are buried less than the appropriate depth we would recommend that you re-bury those pipes to avoid any future problems.

What Is The Frost Line Depth In My Area?

So, your next question may be what is the frost line in your area?

Here in the Atlanta, Georgia area the frost line is between 5 and 10 inches. So, that means your water pipes should be buried between 17 and 22 inches below the top ground.

You can see a map of Georgia’s frost line here at Hammerpedia.com.

How Do You Find Underground Water Pipes?

To find underground water pipes you can contact a plumber that uses ultrasonic leak detection equipment. This is the easiest way to locate underground water pipes.

Otherwise, for those Do It Yourselfers out there – you can purchase a pipe locator that can detect both plastic and metal pipes. This should work for most pipes but if you have clay pipes installed in your home then this method may not work for you.

What Is The Best Pipe To Use For An Underground Water Line?

Ideally, for hot water lines we recommend stainless steel pipes. But they are often too expensive for most homeowners. So, we recommend PEX piping. It’s a plastic type of pipe that is as flexible as a garden hose. It’s resistive to freezing weather which will help to prevent pipe bursts in the winter. It’s easy to maintain and very fast to install.

But the best type of pipes that we normally recommend for underground water lines are PVC pipes. Reason is that it is resistant to corrosion, has a long lifespan and it inexpensive compared to other types of pipes.

PVC is more resistant to the invasion of tree roots than any other pipe material. https://www.atlantisplumbing.com/articles/can-tree-roots-penetrate-pvc-pipes/

If you have any questions about burying water pipes or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-443-8229. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.