Reburying water line

[Bill Tuttle]

The line from our well to the house broke. We've found and are repairing the break. It is approximately 36" deep. What is the best approach to rebury this? Should we just refill the excavation all at once? Is it better to bury it a bit at a time to allow it to settle? Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

I would have the part next to the pipe be sand such as play sand. Then I would fill up to about 3 or 4 inches of the ground surface with the dirt that you extracted. Presuming that your extracted dirt has clay or stones, I would discard the remainder. I would top that up to a little above the ground. Then fill with top soil. Water this if needed to allow settling. The dirt should settle some. In spring or summer, I would put sod on top. I am not a pro.

If this is a 16 ft long trench, I might do things a bit differently than if it is a 4 ft long hole. But to recap, I would not put big rocks next to the pipe. Presuming you want good grass, I would not top the hole up with clay or rock. I would expect settling, and water (rain or supplemented) to speed the settling process.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bill Tuttle]

It basically Georgia red clay. 4-5' long and a 2' or so wide at the bottom. So fill up to or just above the pipe with sand?

 

[Reach4]

http://www.harvel.com/technical-support-center/installation/underground-installation says

The trench bottom should be continuous, relatively smooth and free of rocks. Where ledge rock, hardpan or boulders are encountered, it is necessary to pad the trench bottom using a minimum of four (4) inches of tamped earth or sand beneath the pipe as a cushion and for protection of the pipe from damage.
Sufficient cover must be maintained to keep external stress levels below acceptable design stress.
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I understand that you probably don't have rocks under your pipe, so sand may be unneeded. I often try to do more than needed. Try this search in your favorite search engine: bury pvc pipe sand

 

[Bill Tuttle]

Thanks!