Finding and Exposing Buried Lines

Intro0:00

Hitting a buried line can be serious, even fatal. Hitting a power line can electrocute you, hitting a gas line can cause a leak and an explosion, and strikes have broken water mains and collapsed roads. So make a habit of taking reasonable care, like potholing, not to damage a buried line, and plan the dig to avoid damage to lines in or near the work area.

Finding the Line0:21

A locate shows roughly where a line is. As you dig close to it, the law requires finding its exact location by safe means. The recommended practice works from the tolerance zone: the width of the line plus 18 inches on each side, and some states set it wider. Inside it, dig by hand with a wooden or insulated shovel handle, or use vacuum excavation if the line's owner agreed in advance. Don't use picks, bars or stakes. It pays to pry the soil away gently and dig alongside the line, not down onto it. The recommended way to find the line is with potholes, or test holes, dug until you find it. If your dig runs alongside the line inside its zone, the same advice applies: potholes along the whole route, no more than 15 feet apart, with more where the line's owner shows a change in direction or depth. If the line isn't where it was marked, it's wise to tell the line's owner, directly or through 811.

Once the Line Is Found1:17

Where state law allows it and the line's owner approves, machines can dig in that area once potholes have found the line, but best practice is firm: no machine within 1 foot of the line, in any direction. Dig that last foot by hand. Within about 3 feet, run the machine parallel to the line wherever possible.

Surprises in the Ground1:37

Did you find a line that wasn't marked? A good habit: stop digging near it. Treat it as live. Never assume it's abandoned. Call its owner or the 811 center. Don't dig near it again until you're sure it won't be damaged, and your state's 811 rules allow it. The same goes for anything you can't identify, like a drum, tank, concrete encasement or unknown pipe: stop digging near it, keep people back, and have it identified before you go on. And if you see stained soil or an oily sheen, or smell something unusual, the habit is the same: stop digging and report it.

Recap2:11

To recap. As you near a line, the law requires finding its exact location; inside the tolerance zone, the good habit is to expose it with care, by hand or with vacuum excavation if the line's owner agreed. Make a habit of finding the line with potholes, no more than 15 feet apart when you dig alongside it inside its zone and closer where it bends or changes depth; where state law and the line's owner allow a machine in the zone, keep it 1 foot away from the line on every side and dig that part by hand. It's wise to treat any unmarked line as live, stop digging near it and call its owner or 811; and stop, keep people back and have anything you can't identify checked before you go on.