Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
Where would I find the requirements for separation of underground raceways/direct burial cables from water supply?
Thanks
Thanks
Separation requirement for underground water and electrical raceways
- Thread starter Pierre C Belarge
- Start date
- Status
electricalist
Senior Member
- Location
- dallas tx
I dont know where that would be.Its an interesting question.
Most places where i ran a conduit in the same ditch I was told to keep 1 ft. seperation.
Out going water is falling 1/8 per ft on plumbing so the seperation wouldnt be maintained. The incoming is 2 ft or less for plumbing and I never liked being under the water line so if its a 2 ft or 18 in question Id like to know as well.
Most places where i ran a conduit in the same ditch I was told to keep 1 ft. seperation.
Out going water is falling 1/8 per ft on plumbing so the seperation wouldnt be maintained. The incoming is 2 ft or less for plumbing and I never liked being under the water line so if its a 2 ft or 18 in question Id like to know as well.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
Why would there need to be one?
Pierre C Belarge
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
I did not expect it to be an NEC requirement, it is a builidng code. I just do not know what the section number is. I was hoping someone here knew it.
ron
Senior Member
- Location
- New York, 40.7514,-73.9925
I'm not familiar with a national code preventing this.
Since it is a water supply, maybe a local water company requirement for future maintenance?
I know you can't put sewer and water supply in same trench (with some exception).
Since it is a water supply, maybe a local water company requirement for future maintenance?
I know you can't put sewer and water supply in same trench (with some exception).
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I can see if it is a municipal water supply there may be such rules to help protect the water supply from possible damage and potential contamination should the other nearby utility be excavated for maintenance or repairs.
Private water lines - I have been installing water and electric in same trench with no maintained separation between them all of my career. I seldom ever need to install electric in same trench as water when it is a municipal water supply, but on the farms we run water and electric in same trench quite often as those often are the only two utilities supplying a building or structure. One of most common items is livestock watering units - you have a relatively small structure maybe even several hundred feet away from other buildings that needs water supply as well as electric supply for a heater to prevent freezing in winter months. There are not very many of those around that don't have water and electric buried at same time during initial install anyway. Water and electric may split and go separate ways to receive supply but often follow same path for majority of the run.
In those kind of instances both the plumbers as well as electricians generally like both utilities to be in same general location below ground so that if either one needs to excavate for repairs they don't have to watch out for the otherutility when digging - they will find both in close proximity.
We do same thing with irrigation a lot. Pump at one location - may supply more then one center pivot machine - but only one will be in close proximity to the pump, others maybe could be 3000 feet away, both water line and electric lines to that remote center pivot will be put in same trench while there is a trench 3000 feet long that is open, makes no sense to dig a second trench that long and only put it a couple feet away from the first. Also makes future locating simpler - plastic water line really needs no tracer wire - it has an electric line right next to it that is easily traced.
Private water lines - I have been installing water and electric in same trench with no maintained separation between them all of my career. I seldom ever need to install electric in same trench as water when it is a municipal water supply, but on the farms we run water and electric in same trench quite often as those often are the only two utilities supplying a building or structure. One of most common items is livestock watering units - you have a relatively small structure maybe even several hundred feet away from other buildings that needs water supply as well as electric supply for a heater to prevent freezing in winter months. There are not very many of those around that don't have water and electric buried at same time during initial install anyway. Water and electric may split and go separate ways to receive supply but often follow same path for majority of the run.
In those kind of instances both the plumbers as well as electricians generally like both utilities to be in same general location below ground so that if either one needs to excavate for repairs they don't have to watch out for the otherutility when digging - they will find both in close proximity.
We do same thing with irrigation a lot. Pump at one location - may supply more then one center pivot machine - but only one will be in close proximity to the pump, others maybe could be 3000 feet away, both water line and electric lines to that remote center pivot will be put in same trench while there is a trench 3000 feet long that is open, makes no sense to dig a second trench that long and only put it a couple feet away from the first. Also makes future locating simpler - plastic water line really needs no tracer wire - it has an electric line right next to it that is easily traced.
- Status