hopfully someone can help me with this question....

We are out in a big field. Maybe six months ago, we were planting fruit trees. We found a 6" pvc line down about a foot or so. We all wondered what it was. Promptly scooting over a bit, and finished the planting project. Today, we'd like to find that line, and see what the heck it is. Shouldn't be anything we know of. Problem is how do we find it, out in the field. This guy thinks it was by this tree, the other guy thinks it by one close by, and there is a third tree somewhere in the cone of where it might be.

We've gone there and done a lot of probling. No hits.

We can hire someone to come in and use some kind of locator. Who do we call, and what do we ask for? What kind of service can do these things?

One thing I'm going to try: I have a metal detector. I've been told some pvc pipes may have a wire thread inside. This would be easy to pick up with a metal detector. A problem is we don't know when they might have the wire inside. Ours could have been laid way back in '70s vintage. I'll give it a try next week with that idea.

I've thought about getting a trencher and cutting down at least a foot, and running it across where we feel the pipe is.

Appreciate ideas on what we should do to find that pipe (incidentally: we don't know what was in the pipe, or if anything now is).

Once we find it, we can then fine origin and terminal point fairly easy.

See if your area has something like 'Dig Safe'. WHere I live, you are supposed to call them before you dig any holes more than x deep. if you don't, and you damage something, you are responsible for all damages and repair costs. It could be a water line, drain line, or protection for some wire or cable. You might be able to find it with a metal detector, but Dig Safe could tell you if it was a utility line of some sort. Depending on where you live, 12" isn't a lot. If that's below the frost line, who knows. Usually, that Dig Safe service is free.

Try dialing 811

That should put you in touch with the right agency locally. They will come out and mark for free I think.

I'll check on that. Thanks.

We're a poor church. We do have lots of property. We're just trying to figure out what's going on with stuff on our own property.

811 is the state number that contractors seem to use.

The "digger's hotline" (811) is a free service that is provided by and for the utility companies. If the line is a drain tile or private drainage, they will not mark it.

Sonde locator. Ridgid makes em

The utility companies don't want their services ruined if you start digging, so if you are digging, they will mark where their stuff is for you for free. It doesn't hurt to ask them if there's anything running across that property. If there is, they will mark the location for you for free. If you then damage it, it's incompetance rather than ignorance. If not something of theirs, then it's more of a mystery. If you have a metal detecter, you could try it, but 'normal' pvc (if it is pvc) on its own won't be picked up.

Utility companies only find their lines up to their meters. PVC pipes do NOT have a metal wire inside them, but occasionally the installer will place a wire in the ditch with the plastic pipe. However, this is very uncommon for anything other than gas lines. There is NO way to trace plastic lines if there is not a trace wire.