Question about placement of water line

I am building a barn within the next month. Unfortunately the location I have picked puts the barn partially on top of my 2 inch water main that goes to my main residence. The line is at least 3 feet deep (probably 4 feet if I remember correctly). I do not think there is any danger of hitting the line when digging the footer. My concern is this: The pipe is a 2 inch PVC water main (the kind that slips together with the seal with lubricant when it's installed). There will be horses standing in stalls directly over the water main. Will the urine and waste leaching from the stalls degrade the pipe or any of the joints? Thanks.

Is this a pole barn?

Watch the drilled holes ,if so! Do a search on volclay sheets ,they contain betonite will create a barrierTurn solid when water reaches it. Also have hoe dig a trench and place a 3" pvs above water line. If need be ,this would be a chase for replacement years later

If your frost line is 3', the bottom of a 12" footer will be 4' deep and the trench may be deeper than that.

Degradation of the o-rings probably depends on what type of material they are made of. If it were mine, I think I'd probably move my water line to out side the barn using a roll of 160 or 200 psi rated PE pipe. Or, bring it up out of the ground into the barn, across the barn and back underground. Of course it would have to be protected from freezing if it gets cold enough where you are. That's not easy and can be a problem. If you leave the line under the barn, you're betting it will never break and you'll never have to dig it up. With sch 40 PVC, I wouldn't bet on that not happening.

This is not a pole barn. It will have a footer and block foundation walls. I can move the proposed barn site about 10 feet to get it off the line. It will put one corner of the site a little lower than I would want (right now every corner is really even, if I move it one corner drops about 16 inches).

I really do not want to move the water line. I'd rather move the barn than move the line. I'm all ears - what would you guys recommend?

I've never heard of that type of supply before so I won't comment on whether or not urine will affect it (I doubt it though if it's an approved material). Don't worry about difficulty of replacement though, if you replaced it the new line would simply go around the barn or be pulled using the existing line.

Gary Slusser said:

If your frost line is 3', the bottom of a 12" footer will be 4' deep and the trench may be deeper than that.

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Along with the matter of the urine possibly affecting the water line, what Gary has said would be the deciding factor for me to move the barn. Even if the PVC might be below the footer, I would still not want a barn's footer sitting and settling just above my PVC water line!

Thanks for the input. Everyone I talk to at my local plumbing supply stores says the pipe with certainly withstand any leaching urine from the animals, but nobody knows about the o-ring seal in the pipes. It is a water main, so I guess it's really not approved for anything other than a water supply line. I'm still a little undecided, but I'm leaning towards leaving the building where I want it because of the following: Where I live the footer would definitely be above the water line, and the water line has been there for 9 years so the ditch that was originally dug has probably settled back pretty well by now. If it ever leaked I could just find the two ends at each side of the barn and reconnect by going around the barn. Any additional thoughts would be great - I'm all ears and this forum is definitely giving me a lot to think about. Thanks for the input and if anyone else has any thoughts, please let me know.

Barn Over Water Main


MOST PLUMBING CODES I KNOW OF "DO NOT' allow normal sewer waste pipes to run in the same trench or over the top of potable water lines,
i think if you check with your local codes, building and health they would say the same thing about having a burn over a water main is concerned

how would know if the horse waste was coming though the o-rings after
everbody in house gets sick???

remember your not just talking about your family but also if the property is sold at later date

MACPLUMB MASTERPLUMBER

If you have all the equipment and time now why not just move the line now and not worry about if it is going to cause a problem.

Having a problem like that in the winter would / could be a nightmare.

It is possible that with all the work being done you could cause a problem to the line with out you knowing it, that may show it self not to far down the road.

I have fixed many water lines that I was told were deeper than what I found them to be. Memorys are inaccurate.