Ploughing up an underground cable

[Old Bull]

Any advice appreciated on how to deal with Northern Powergrid who we've just phoned to ask about cables revealed during our ploughing. Job is stressful enough at the minute without having to deal with this. Can't find any reference to them in the deeds pack that came from previous landowner.

 

[teslacoils]

Bloody hell that's a bit close!

 

[ollandroverman]

At that depth, cable size and proximity to the hedge, I would suspect they are telecommunications. However, you must treat them as high voltage untill it is proven otherwise.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Can’t give any useful advice but one things for certain, whoever laid those cables were a bunch of cowboys, they should be in far deeper, indeed, aren’t there guidelines about how deep they should be.

 

[Andy26]

That looks like cable from a transformer, not HV, probably laid by a third party for a private supply.

 

[David.]

Dont worry too much, they are not at the absolute minimum 18" depth required for all underground cables, and no warning tape either.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Not deep enough and no warning tape??

Keep away from them and continue working. Its not your issue.

 

[Goweresque]

According to this stuff from Eon all underground electricity cables since 2002 should have been installed in ducting, at a minimum of 1000mm deep in agricultural land:

https://www.cablejoints.co.uk/upload/E.ON___Electricity_Cable_Ducts,_Guidance_Notes.pdf

 

[Danllan]

According to this stuff from Eon all underground electricity cables since 2002 should have been installed in ducting, at a minimum of 1000mm deep in agricultural land:

https://www.cablejoints.co.uk/upload/E.ON___Electricity_Cable_Ducts,_Guidance_Notes.pdf

That's the fist useful thing I've come across from Eon...

 

[Kidds]

Looks more like the self burying cables that BT use.
Previous owner might know.

Assume they are electric until confirmed otherwise is safest route.

 

[M-J-G]

According to this stuff from Eon all underground electricity cables since 2002 should have been installed in ducting, at a minimum of 1000mm deep in agricultural land:

https://www.cablejoints.co.uk/upload/E.ON___Electricity_Cable_Ducts,_Guidance_Notes.pdf

Was just about to say this, I became aware of that when I put a strainer post through a high voltage cable and blacked out half the local town, it was only 550mm.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Is it a mains power cable or a cathodic earth for a gas/oil pipe line

 

[David.]

Western Power undergrounded our yard supply last backend, cable is not swa, and is buried to a minimum of 18" through yard base hardcore, they were unwilling to put cable in ducting because ducting interferes with heat dissipation, indeed, ducted cables have to be upsized.

 

[feilding]

If the cable is not 1 metre deep don't worry about it. I've riped up electric and phone cable's, cables have to be 1 metre underground, openreach told me that, and Scottish power.

 

[som farmer]

have had this problem with a telephone cable, hit it x4, 1 my mistake, the other x3 cable not marked, not deep enough, and not where I was told it was, I was away when it was done, say all that, no problem. Caught a mains water pipe, they were quite shitty about that, till I pointed out it was 9'' deep. Advice is to check everything is 'correct' before you call !

 

[teslacoils]

The thing is, now you know it's there and have shown us all a picture, you do have a duty of care not to damage it. If you had broken it without knowing about it, then fair enough, but now you know it's there irrespective of its depth, you can't just act as if it wasn't there, if you see what I mean.

 

[Lincs Lass]

At least it not a gas main, somebody put a sub soiler point through one at lincoln about 8 years ago. It took out loads of homes , you could smell for miles and the same out near grimsby long before that ,,they were only 18inches deep

 

[john432]

The power harrow will level it out and hide the problem for this year! Keep quiet and carry on!

 

[honeyend]

Our contractor went through one and cost £2500 to fix, it cut the power to about 20 houses. but my main worry is your saftey.

 

[PSQ]

Look at the outer sheathing it will probably have BT marked on it somewhere.
And yes, they've done the same trick here, leaving a cable in an open furrow and when asked to move it they hung it in the hedge