Main Line issue

[Starcraft27]

I'm installing two retaining walls on the slope leading to my house. This slope is also where my main water line is. Luckily the gas line is very deep. The issue is that copper plumbing line is very shallow and in the way of the wall and footing I need dug out for the walls.

My idea was cutting the line and installing the walls and then replumbing the line up and over the walls individually. So for two walls this would 8 elbows, and would also expose the line to the elements where it climbs the wall and crosses over. I have fairly mild weather here in the bay area so freezing is not an issue, and I could also throw some insulation on the exposed parts.

I could also build the walls into the line and just concrete around the area the pipe crosses but I don't like that accesibility if there was ever a problem.

I really would hate to have to retrench to go deeper and redo the line.

Any ideas?

 

[Chris]

Could you sleeve the lines in 4" pipe and pour around them?

 

[Starcraft27]

Its a possibility. It is a block wall, so Id have to check if pouring a block similar to the style I'm using would effect the integrity of the structure.

In general, would having that many elbows in the main cause an issue?

 

[Chris]

When I do main line repairs a lot of the time we will have to use four 90's. I think the only major issue would be a flow issue since it is stopping the water every turn, is there any way of using 45's instead of 90's? that would restrict flow a little less.

 

[havasu]

I myself would not want any cuts/unions/connectors in the buried main copper line leading to my house. I would sleeve it, with lots of room for movement and some nice long lasting padding to protect it.