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ChilternWater Services

Moling

Moling: a new water pipe under your drive, without digging up your drive.

An impact mole is a pneumatic torpedo that punches its own tunnel through the ground, pulling the new water pipe in behind it. Dig a pit at the boundary, another by the house, and the pipe goes from one to the other underground.

It means a new supply pipe can go under block paving, tarmac, lawns, borders and paths without any of them being lifted. It is how most of our replacements get done.

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A pit at the edge of a concrete drive with new blue pipe passing beneath the drainage channel

Why mole it

Less digging, less mess, less to put back

Trenching a supply pipe across a block paved drive means lifting and relaying the lot. Moling it means two holes about a metre square. That is the difference between a day and three days, and between a drive that looks like it did and one that does not.

  • No trench across the drive or lawn
  • Two small pits instead
  • Under block paving, tarmac and concrete
  • Under borders and established planting
  • Pipe laid at regulation depth
  • Usually quicker than trenching

Moling

How it works

We dig a launch pit at one end and a receiving pit at the other, both at the depth the pipe needs to sit. The mole is lined up and set off, and it drives itself through the ground towards the far pit. The new pipe is pulled through the hole it leaves, connected up at both ends, tested, and the pits are filled back in.

A narrow pit dug at the edge of a lawn with new blue pipe rising out of the bore at the bottom

Moling

Where it works, and where it does not

Moling suits most runs of up to about twenty metres through normal ground. Heavy flint, old foundations or rubble can knock a mole off line, and that is something we judge on the visit. Where a mole will not go, a narrow trench will, and we will tell you which before you are committed to either.

A pit dug beside a drainage channel at the mouth of a drive, with new blue pipe curving underneath it

In full

Moling covers

Homes and commercial properties across South Bucks and the Chilterns.

  • Trenchless supply pipe installation
  • Under drives and paths
  • Under lawns and borders
  • Lead pipe replacement by mole
  • New supplies to outbuildings and garden rooms
  • Launch and receiving pits reinstated

Reviews

What customers said

“Craig and his team managed to install a new main water line in a day’s work - easily the best quote and provided a fantastic service.”
Keith H.Google review
“Chiltern Water Services replaced my old lead water pipe to new plastic pipe. Pete and Craig kept me up dated at each stage of the job.”
Antonio M.Google review

On site

Photographed on the job

A narrow pit dug at the edge of a lawn with new blue pipe rising out of the bore at the bottom
A pit dug beside a drainage channel at the mouth of a drive, with new blue pipe curving underneath it
A pit at the edge of a concrete drive with new blue pipe passing beneath the drainage channel
A deep narrow pit under a hedge with a length of new blue pipe running down into it and a spade resting on the edge
An orange micro digger parked on a block paved drive in front of a detached brick house
A pit dug through paving at the front step of a house, with a new blue supply pipe running into the wall

Questions

Moling: common questions

How far can you mole?

Most domestic runs, up to about twenty metres, go in one shot. Longer runs can be done in stages with a pit in between.

Will it damage my drive?

No. The mole goes underneath at depth. The only disturbance is the two pits, which we put where they do least harm, often in a border or on the pavement side.

Can you mole a supply to a garden office or outbuilding?

Yes, as long as there is a sensible route. It is a common job.

Moling near you

We also do

Leak detectionUnderground leaks found with tracer gas and listening kit, before anything gets dug.Water main repairsLeaking supply pipes dug out, repaired, pressure tested and put back. Most done in a day.Water main replacementOld, leaking or undersized supply pipes replaced with new MDPE, often in a single day.Lead pipe replacementOld lead supply pipes taken out of service and replaced with new MDPE pipe.Emergency repairsBurst supply pipes and flooding leaks. Ring, and we will get to you as fast as we can.New supplies & reroutingNew water supplies, shared supplies split, and pipes moved for extensions and new builds.Low pressure & upgradesWeak flow fixed at the source, with supply pipes upsized for bigger houses and new bathrooms.

Next step

Get a price for moling

Tell us what you are seeing and roughly where you are. Craig will come and look, and give you a clear price before anything is dug.

Send us the details

Tell us what you are seeing and roughly where you are. A photo of the meter or the wet patch can follow by email.

Or ring 07852 780113. Craig answers it himself.