how much sand to backfill waterline trench?

[JRobyn]

When we had our 1/4mi waterline run, the crew that did it used the rock dust as backfill. The trench was sawed through mostly solid rock. It was the same crew that ran water lines for the county and local water utility, and that's the same way they did it for them, so I feel like it was probably OK to do it that way with no sand. But that was 2in PVC pipe. Eight years so far and all is ok.

- Jay

 

[HeLa]

thanks JRobyn, and cool machine in the pic!

 

[JRobyn]

A couple more good ones... It was a totally AWESOME machine!

- Jay

 

[gsganzer]

I always put water and electrical lines in plastic pipe which has been snaked through six inch corrugated drain pipe. Cheap insurance if i ever have to replace a line. Also backfill with what was taken out minus the rocks.

I'm getting ready to run a line about 750' out to my other barn and I think I like this idea. It takes the guesswork out of back filling. The only issue I can see is that if you ever had a leak, you'd never be able to find it and I bet it would take a monumental effort to pull 750' of black poly out while snaking a new line in. Any thoughts?