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Water Leak Under a Driveway in Nottingham

Notts Leak Detection traces a water leak under a driveway across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, through tarmac, block paving or concrete, so only the spot over the leak is lifted.

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Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm.

Leak position being marked with spray paint on a tarmac driveway in Nottingham after leak detection

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A water leak under a driveway is one of the hardest to find by eye. The supply pipe often runs under the drive from the boundary to the house, and water escaping from it tends to drain down into the ground instead of showing on the surface. Often the first sign is a bigger bill, or a meter that keeps turning with everything off.

Finding it through the surface

Leak noise travels through tarmac, concrete and block paving, so a ground microphone can often pick it up from the surface. When the leak is too quiet, usually on plastic pipe, tracer gas does the work. The pipe is filled with a non-flammable 5% hydrogen mix, which rises through soil, paving joints and even tarmac, and a detector finds where it comes out. The spot is marked on the drive before anything is lifted. The methods are covered in full under underground water leak detection.

Lifting as little as possible

On block paving, the blocks over the leak are lifted, kept and relaid after the repair. On tarmac or concrete, a neat square is cut over the leak and patched afterwards. The repair itself goes through that one opening. See water supply pipe repair.

If the pipe is old or lead and needs replacing, moling can pull a new one underneath without lifting the drive at all.

What's included

  • Meter test to confirm the leak is on the buried pipe
  • Pipe route traced under the drive
  • Acoustic survey across the surface
  • Tracer gas where the leak is too quiet to hear
  • Leak marked on the drive
  • Advice on lifting and relaying the surface
  • Moling option if the pipe needs replacing
  • Written report with photos

How the options compare

Drive dug up

Do it yourself
Wherever the wet patch is
Dig-and-hope operator
Several trial holes
Proper leak detection
One marked spot

Block paving

Do it yourself
Lifted in a wide area
Dig-and-hope operator
Lifted in a wide area
Proper leak detection
A few blocks lifted and relaid

Tarmac or concrete

Do it yourself
Broken out widely
Dig-and-hope operator
Broken out widely
Proper leak detection
Cut over the leak only

If the pipe is failing

Do it yourself
Patched
Dig-and-hope operator
Patched
Proper leak detection
Moled underneath instead

Related resources

Step by step

What happens, from call to report

  1. Meter test

    Stop tap off and meter checked, to confirm the leak is on the buried supply pipe.

  2. Trace the route

    Find where the pipe runs under the drive, which is rarely a straight line.

  3. Pinpoint

    Listen through the surface, or use tracer gas, which rises through paving joints and tarmac.

  4. Mark and advise

    Leak marked, with repair options, including moling if the pipe needs replacing.

The work

How the work looks

Illustrative photos of the methods and finish described on this page. They are not records of particular customers' jobs.

  • Tracer gas detector moved over block paving to find a leak under a driveway, Nottingham
    Tracer gas detector moved over block paving to find a leak under a driveway
  • Small square of block paving lifted over a leak, blocks kept for relaying, Nottingham
    Small square of block paving lifted over a leak, blocks kept for relaying
  • Repaired water supply pipe in a small hole under a driveway, Nottingham
    Repaired water supply pipe in a small hole under a driveway
  • Block paving relaid neatly after a supply pipe repair under the drive, Nottingham
    Block paving relaid neatly after a supply pipe repair under the drive

Leak under the drive? Lift one spot, not the whole thing.

Driveway leak detection anywhere in Nottinghamshire.

Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm.

0115 839 0791 Request a quote

Questions

Water Leak Under Driveway: common questions

My neighbour's pipe runs under my drive and it is leaking. Who pays?
Severn Trent says a supply pipe belongs to the house it serves, even where it crosses someone else's land. So a leak on their pipe under your drive is theirs to fix, although they will need your agreement to get to it. See who is responsible for the water supply pipe.

Will you need to dig up my whole drive?
No. The aim is one marked spot. On block paving that usually means lifting a small area and relaying the same blocks. On tarmac or concrete, a neat square is cut over the leak.

Why is there no wet patch if there is a leak?
Water from a buried pipe often drains downwards instead of coming up, especially under a hard surface. The first sign is often the bill, not the drive.

How much does it cost to find a leak under a driveway?
Checkatrade lists general leak detection in Nottingham at £105–£192. Specialist mains leak detection, the kind needed under a drive, is published locally at £595 + VAT. See how much leak detection costs.

Are you open 24 hours?
No. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Out of hours, turn off your internal stop tap to stop the flow and call us in the morning. If water is coming up in the road or on the pavement, that is on Severn Trent's side: report it free on 0800 783 4444.

Related

Related services

  • Underground Water Leak Detection

    Pinpoint a leak on the buried pipe between the boundary and your house with acoustic, gas and meter tests before anyone digs.

    View service

  • Water Pipe Moling

    Pull a new water pipe underground with a mole, leaving the drive, lawn and path in place.

    View service

  • Water Supply Pipe Repair

    One leak on your supply pipe, found and fixed through a single small hole.

    View service

Find the leak under the drive before anyone lifts it.

Call to book, or send a quote request.

Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm.

0115 839 0791 Request a quote
Call 0115 839 0791