Farm near Kingsbridge, Devon, December 2024. A leaking 25mm MDPE water main laid around two metres deep by mole plough under an arable field. Located and pinpointed despite the depth, working from a plan of the run and with the neighbouring farmer lending local knowledge.
The problem: a leak somewhere under a field
Farm water mains are their own category of difficult. This one had been laid by mole plough, the agricultural technique that pulls pipe directly into the ground without an open trench, which put it roughly two metres down under a working arable field. Somewhere along that run, water was escaping. On a farm, a leaking main is not a nuisance, it is livestock troughs, supply pressure and a metered bill all going wrong at once.
Finding it: paperwork, local knowledge and detection kit
The job started the right way: the customer left a plan of the pipe run out for us, and the neighbouring farmer helped confirm where the line actually ran, which on farmland can differ from any drawing. With the route established, detection work pinpointed the escape along the run, deep as it was.
That combination matters. Detection equipment is at its best when the search area is honest, and on rural jobs the people who know the land are part of the toolkit. We say the same to every farm customer: dig out whatever plans exist, and tell us what you know, because it all narrows the search.
The fix
With the leak located, the repair could be excavated at one point rather than trenching the field. The job was completed and invoiced at the standard detection fee for the visit, and settled within days.
What this job shows
- Depth is not a dealbreaker. Mole-ploughed mains at two metres can still be located without opening up half a field. See our guide to finding a water leak underground.
- Farms are a regular part of our work across Cornwall and Devon, from arable land to dairy yards, and pricing is discussed honestly up front because no two farm jobs are the same. The service page for underground water leak detection covers the methods.
- Bring your plans. A sketch in a shed saved hours on this job.
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