We're finally digging! It's ridiculously easy to dig our yard...hardest part is carting off the dirt.

But, we've run into a few snags...
While installing the electric line, we discovered a hole in the sewer pipe going to the septic tank. $500 plumber bill, ouch. But it was found before we had a poopy yard, so I'm ok with it.

Next, I've found a mystery pipe. It's right where I want to put the overflowing urn/filter. It's a 1.5 inch steel pipe sticking up to ground level, now uncovered to about 1.5 feet. It sticks into a 4" crumbling plastic pipe. The whole apparatus was buried before my shovel found it.

I stuck a 2 ft rod into the pipe and there's water in it. The pictures don't show it, but it's about 2 feet from the back of the garage and stands vertically. The garage has a drain, but it's just a french drain type of drain, not connected to the house drain.

Any ideas what I've found? And can I cut it off and/or remove it?

Maybe an old hand pump well head?

Cut it off. What's the worst that could happen? ;)

My house was construction by committee and lowest bidder. Cut it off and for all I know, it'll make a huge sink hole that you'll be hearing about in the news. If you hear something about a house that sunk in New Hudson, MI, you'll know it's mine. :blink:

So was mine :D

I was thinking some old well too or some old drain for something. Was the plumber already out to fix the septic line? If not, you could ask him what he thinks.

I agree, ask the plumber. Is the plastic pipe solid or perforated? I'm thinking that the metal pipe is just a marker for the end of the plastic pipe ( since it doesn't look like a solid fit from one pipe to another ).

Linda, what'd you find out about the pipe?

Nothing. The plumber had already come and gone when I discovered it. I consulted the neighbors, my Dad, and my husband. All seem to think it may have been an old hand pump well, so it should be no harm in cutting it off. It definately isn't in use, so I seem to agree with the consensus.

I'm going to end up chopping it off at about 2.5 ft deep, but I'm still trying to figure out how. Maybe my trusty Roto-Zip.

A sawz-all will cut that thing off. Maybe it's an oil head. LOL ;)