OT---Call Before You Dig!!

Jiles · May 1, 2014

I am well aware of CBYD policy. I ALWAYS call, especially when using my Tractor or Backhoe.
Recently, I built a 1,500 sq. ft. outdoor deck. I had the underground utilities located. Due to previous work, this was the THIRD time in a few years that I had did this.
They missed the home underground power supply by over THREE FEET!
I know this is just an approximate location so I always use caution until I actually locate.
Problem number two which is no fault of CBYD, is that the power supply was buried FOUR INCHES!!
Someone certainly short cut digging when line was installed since power company estimated it to be THREE to FIVE foot below surface.
Just a caution we all need to be aware of.

tomturkey · May 1, 2014

I experienced the same problem on a city sidewalk project. While the original bury depth was appropriate, some grading after the electical line installation left it well short of the required depth. Contractor hit the line with a skid loader while cutting grade for the sidewalk. No one hurt, but a local radio stations tower repeater was down for about 5 hours. Always pays to hand dig and actually ""get eyes on the cable conduit or pipe". gobble

Anonymous-0 · May 1, 2014

A cousin in the construction business was going to do some digging on his own property, and called for location of a fiber optic cable. He disagreed with the location they said by about 5', and they told him in no uncertain word's that he was wrong, and to go ahead and dig. You guessed it, they were wrong and had to splice a fairly large cable. So sometimes they can be wrong.

HenryO · May 1, 2014

I think Ive told this before but here goes again.

Was hired to install a new diesel tank for the Sheriffs Dept to run their large generator. Had to remove old tank and install new with fuel lines etc. so, as usual I call the locator people and they spent about four hours scouring the are, determining all electric and phone (?) lines about 20 feet from the dig. Sooooo, I proceed to dig alongside the old tank and on the third bucketful I came up with what seemed to be thousands of wires all separated somewhere down in the hole. Guess what?? Someone had installed the phone and alarm wires right on top of the old tank(against all rules). Needless to say, there was all kind of consternation and the phone co. insisted I pay the dames costs . That was until I showed then the CBYD contract and also the regulations stating you cannot run any kind of wires over a fuel tank. What fun that was

Billy NY · May 1, 2014

Its one of those things, you have to see to know, the rest is all talk. You have to make the call, have the location work done, then its still up to you on how to work with and around existing utilities. Something like that, I prefer to do some hand work, get an idea of actual location, try to establish direction, and of course that can certainly change, as what should be, is not. Also consider when "prodding" around, don't use anything conductive, and or use common sense and employ safe methods, mistakes can be fatal. There is no doubt about working around buried power, its dangerous, there is liability and whats on paper or shown by markings may not be accurate at all, every experienced excavation outfit would likely say the same thing. Something like that should be at a proper depth and when it was backfilled, say with a foot of cover on the conduit or line, there should be caution tape placed, so you can locate as you work. The caution tape should extend and rise up to where the line surfaces at the building, pole or what have you, makes it so much easier when doing hand work or physically locating the line, to follow whats there without risking damage, it also helps to have an experience operator that knows how to work around these things, hogging dirt out of a clean, (no underground utilities)foundation hole is one thing, working around, pipe, power and similar is another LOL !

Anonymous-0 · May 1, 2014

Put a new mail box at My new home. Already two mail boxes there, One on each edge of 8" deep by 2" wide township dirt road ditch. Thought if I went between the two in the center of the ditch I would bee ok. Wrong! 8" down hit the phone cable with hand post hole diggers. Called the phone Co. told them what I had done, They asked how bad? told them BAD, Cause I thought it was a ROOT and keep chopping at it. They spent 2 hrs repairing it. NO charge.

MSS3020 · May 1, 2014

I built my home 13 years ago.. new land..new house..nothing under ground... I have maped all utilities, water, sewer, how far down, etc. I ran out map on google since and colored in what, where and depth.. I know with ground movement etc. this can change some but it should be close.. Plan to leave this behind for future owners when that time comes..

Jiles · May 1, 2014

Many years ago, I bought an Old Home that had new homes all around. I was digging for a sidewalk and I had all utilities located.
First dig--cut two phone lines. I thought no problem I can splice it back together and the other one is probably an old line.
To be sure, I made a good waterproof splice for both lines after calling the phone company who stated it might be a couple of days before they could come out.
I checked my phone and had a signal.
Later that day, my next door neighbor walked over and asked if my phone was working correctly. I stated I thought so, and asked why.
He said that he had got two phone calls asking for me?
You guessed it--I had cross repaired the two lines.
No big problem and we had a good laugh.
Next day, phone company made repair.

JDemaris · May 1, 2014

I hit a major underground phone cable with a farm
tractor and a moldboard plow. It was only 8" deep
in the middle of one of my fields and was not
marked. And no - I called no one before I dug. I
did not know it was there. Verizon came up and
spent a day fixing it along with a backhoe and
team of four people. It was a major line. They
later billed me for $4700 which I refused to pay.
They said I was liable since I did not call before
I dug and I should have my home insurance company
pay for it. Called my insurance company and their
adjuster came up and said they were going to pay.
I got ticked and told them NO I don't want them
paying because that makes me look responsible.
Ends up after doing some research - I found out I
was NOT responsible. They cannot hold a person
liable who hits an underground line on their own
land with farm equipment. An outside contractor
with a backhoe - yes. It was all there in writing.
The insurance adjuster thanked me and said he'd
learned something new. The Verizon people acted
like a bunch of militant thugs but did not get
their way.

Jerry/MT · May 1, 2014

Amazing! Who would expect a phone line in the middle of a field?
Guess they expected you to be clarvoyant!

RodinNS · May 1, 2014

We've had that happen too. LOL. THEY are expected entirely to have their equipment buried below the plow layer. I don't know what would happen in the case of a tile plow... but certainly a moldboard plow... it needs to be buried well below that level. We just waved at them while they strung the new wire on the poles..

Rod

PJH · May 1, 2014

Photographs, photographs, photographs!

ANY time you get a utility locate, ALWAYS take good pics of the locate marks, being aware of reference points in the background so you can duplicate the situation after the ground is torn up. MANY times we've hit phone cables, called the phone company, and the first thing they do upon arrival is jump out and throw a bunch of paint on the ground. Their new paint often doesn't match the old paint, and how do you prove they're messing with you? With your photographs! It also helps to photograph them throwing paint after the line is cut. I'm not saying that pictures in any way relieve your responsibility to hand dig at their original marks, but if they try to play games with you, those pictures you took will break them of sucking eggs. We're fully responsible for OUR mistakes, but NOT theirs.

sms · May 1, 2014

Was putting in trailer slab, driveway ect for
someone had "underground" fiber optic located, was
told 3" to 24" deep. First pass with dozer pushed
brush pile away from telephone pole and fiber optic
cable lay on top of the ground, I had run it over
with the dozer but no damage. This was an old field
good top soil no reason it couldn't have been
buried. My lucky day.

Jiles · May 1, 2014

(quoted from post at 22:32:23 05/01/14) Photographs, photographs, photographs!

ANY time you get a utility locate, ALWAYS take good pics of the locate marks, being aware of reference points in the background so you can duplicate the situation after the ground is torn up. MANY times we've hit phone cables, called the phone company, and the first thing they do upon arrival is jump out and throw a bunch of paint on the ground. Their new paint often doesn't match the old paint, and how do you prove they're messing with you? With your photographs! It also helps to photograph them throwing paint after the line is cut. I'm not saying that pictures in any way relieve your responsibility to hand dig at their original marks, but if they try to play games with you, those pictures you took will break them of sucking eggs. We're fully responsible for OUR mistakes, but NOT theirs.

Excellent advise, I will remember!----THANKS---

Fordfarmer · May 1, 2014

I have one buried about 50 yards out in one of my fields too. No reason for it to be out there, but it is. According to the lines they painted when some culverts were replaced, anyway. I figure it's their tough luck if I hit it with any normal farming operation...

Geo-TH,In · May 1, 2014

The water company told me, they only have to be within 10 ft. I need to locate by digging by hand.

old-9 · May 1, 2014

Very true, I have used locate before and THEY take photos as they locate for their records. So take some yourself. joe

Owen Aaland · May 1, 2014

I've got a phone line that cuts across the middle of an eight acre field. The phone company asked me about it first and they plowed it in at 4 feet deep. It only serves one house and eliminated four poles and 1/4 mile above ground wire.

jlewis457 · May 1, 2014

I locate natural gas lines I know the law in Ohio is the locater is allowed 18" eachside of his marks plus the width of the thing he is marking and no one will ever tell you how deep the item is,(this is grounds for termination) I have told many people you will know how deep when you hand dig the item up. Also when you are hand digging you are still libal for damage. That being said most Utilities do not locate there own lines they third party out the locate and when there is a strike the locating company pays for the repair (just a drop to a home is around $1000 cost to the locating company) so now you should know why they try to pass the blame (the locating guy only gets around three before there is a new locator guy) Hope this does help a little
John

37chief · May 1, 2014

Found someone to dig Mothers grave. This was a few years ago. He would not dig until I contacted dig alert for the cemetery property. I told him there wasn't to be any services in the ground. This is a old farming community cemetery. Nothing grows but weeds, and a few trees. After going through all the utility companies verifying there is no services in the cemetery he ended up not digging the grave anyway. I guess you can't be too careful. Stan

Billy Shafer · May 1, 2014

Me and a buddy were digging post holes for a new
fence around his house. Called the power company
told them where we were at. No problem you are ten
feet from the underground line. Get out the BEER and
start digging. Halfway through the third hole there
was a blue flash and the neighborhood power went
out.That ended our digging for the night

Jiles · May 1, 2014

You would think that with all the technology we have today, a locator could locate exactly. I guess it's a liability thing.
I think that in most cases of shallow lines is the fact that the digging is contracted out and there is no inspection!
NO excuse for a power supply to be 3 or 4" underground! And NO excuse for not locating closer then THREE FEET!

Anonymous-0 · May 1, 2014

When I worked for the phone company I hated to do locates. It
was easy to miss if you had several things buried close
together. I had a pretty good Dynatel cable locater but always
pulled out my 2 copper wires to double check. Using the
copper wires I have dug around looking for cable and came up
empty and looked up and would be under a power line. Wires
would cross above or below all the same to them. Tommy

jlewis457 · May 1, 2014

I replied lower and I can tell you that when locating using the machines that we use I can locate a gas line within inches and when I was a contractor digging in gas lines power companies were the most arogant people to deal with because they knew that you did not want to chance hitting a 7200 volt electric line.
Also just so everyone that reads this knows never never admit that you knew they (Locator) marked anything wrong you are at fault if you knew it was marked wrong.
John

MSD · May 1, 2014

The best locator is a backhoe!

Dan T in MO · May 1, 2014

I hit a water line while putting in a T-post. CBYD prob'ly wouldn't have helped any since it was a line put in by Dad many years ago to supply the chicken house. Funny thing is, I had just pulled a post from nearly the same spot.

akwells · May 2, 2014

I drove a t-post in the ground in the middle of a large open yard/field, so I could enclose a small garden spot. It was far away from anything, and shouldn't have been any wires or pipes.

Turns out, they ran the phone cable from the neighbors house, down a farm road, through this field, to my house... instead of following the highway that ran parallel. And I had the luck to plant the t-post right through it.

Phone company installed a whole new line from the neighbors house to mine, this time following the highway. I didn't get charged anything. On top of that, their van got rear-ended as it was on the side of the road where they were re-routing the phone cable.

OT---Call Before You Dig!!

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