How close can I bury downspouts to utilities?

[mc1984ss]

I started digging the trench to bury my downspouts. I need to cross gas and power cable underground. Obviously the PVC will be above the utilities but I am not sure if there should be a certain amount? Do I need to stay a certain distance above the utilities? Thank you in advance!!!!

 

[jhelrey]

You are overthinking it...

 

[mm08822]

Final the utilities first so you can plan the drain pitch/depth properly.

If they happen to be deeper than your drainage pipe at those locations, then you know how much to dig the rest of it with the correct pitch.

 

[mc1984ss]

The utilities have been in the ground for 10 yrs, the pbc will be perpendicular to the utilities.

Thank you jhelrey I tend to do that with most of my projects

 

[75gmck25]

Call the utility marking phone number for your area and have them mark all the lines. Maybe they also have data for how deep they are, but that's probably too optimistic.

In my area the gas lines are quite deep (maybe at least 24"-30"?) and they seem to be sleeved (or originally made) with very robust iron pipe, so you would be unlikely to hit them with a trench for your water runoff. Other commercial utilities are also usually buried deep, except for the cable company that seems to bury their stuff at 12" or less.

 

[Nodakdad]

I wouldn't count on lines being at a certain depth. I did unground for a few years I ran into plastic residential gas lines as shallow as 6 inches. Not right at all but they were there.
People do all kinds of zany stuff when inspectors aren't watching

 

[mike93lx]

Call 811 regardless of what you know.

Hand dig only when crossing, regardless of what depth you know they are at. Other than that, just lay them at the depth you need.

Great call on pvc instead of corrugated

 

[mc1984ss]

I have already hand dug down to the utilities. I installed them so I knew right where they were. The rest will be done using a trencher