Energizing the water line may bleed off, resulting in what outcome?

• A. A faulty locate
• B. An improved locate
• C. Increased water pressure
• D. No effect

Answer: (A)

When you energize a water line for locating, the electrical signal doesn’t stay confined to the pipe. The water, joints, and the surrounding soil can provide alternate paths for the current, so energy bleeds off into the grounding system. That leakage weakens or distorts the signal along the pipe you’re trying to trace, which makes the locator readings unreliable and results in a faulty locate. Increased water pressure isn’t related to the locating signal, and there is typically some effect on the signal, so saying there’s no effect isn’t accurate.