Overview of Utility Locating Services

by Maria Williams Online Marketing Specialist

Before the start of any project – construction or excavation, it is wise to perform utility locating on the site. This is the first step that has to be done if you are planning a project that will require digging up through the ground.

Hiring professionals to map underground utilities will lead to speeding up the construction project. You no longer have to dig carefully and slowly. It is always better to prevent a problem to occur than to handle it. We are able to see, localize and identify the type of utility in the ground, using advanced methods. There are several reasons why utility locating has to be performed before any project. They all point to delivering time, money and safety:

• Localization of utility lines for further planning

• Preventing interruption during work

• Avoiding repair costs...

Except identifying underground utilities, you will get a full covering of your storage tanks, gas pipes and voids. You'll want to scan for any dangerous materialс in the ground, that can be harmful to anyone who will be digging through. Having a full coverage package means no need to worry further.

Do you know that some of the utility lines can be re-routed or placed in a different location? Many of them might be old or not effective anymore. So, you need to replace those old utility lines with new ones. This can be done by utility company who has a lot of experience in the field.

Water and utility lines may not cause more damage than power lines can do. However, the interruption will be the same. This will lead to more delays, repair costs and legal consequences. Electromagnetic equipment is used for detecting signals from beneath the ground. Power lines can be detected anytime, regardless of the season. This is not a case for identifying water lines because they sometimes require a combination of different methods: electromagnetic method or Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) or both of them. This radar uses a high-frequency radio signal that is transmitted into the ground and then the signals are returning back to the recipient in a digital form.

During construction excavation, locating the utilities before you start is a best practice. Damaging any critical utility services such as water and power lines or gas piping during construction is costly and most probably dangerous. Just think that something as simple as digging a hole to plant a tree has a potential to damage a property or even cause a loss of life.

If you plan to start a construction or excavation project, contact utility locating company which will help you to map your underground utilities.