Utility locating is an essential service to help find underground utilities and keep track of where they are. It presents numerous benefits when preparing for maintenance work or making new installations. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation on the internet about this service. Utility locating is often framed as insignificant or described inaccurately. We’ve encountered numerous myths over the years, so it’s time to bust the biggest ones wide open and reveal the truth about this service.
MYTH 1: An Old Utility Map Will Suffice
Many people believe there’s no need for utility locating services if they have a copy of an old utility map. There should be blueprints and records of a property’s utility lines, though relying on them is never the right idea.
These maps and records may not be updated or they don’t account for natural changes in the infrastructure around your utility lines. Shifts in the soil or earth could move piping out of its old location, meaning the previous records aren’t accurate. Utility locating provides a comprehensive understanding of where all the utility lines are currently located, which can be compared to an older map and updated.
MYTH 2: You Only Need Utility Locating For Huge Excavation Projects
This is false. Utility locating is necessary for all kinds of projects. A good rule of thumb is this; if you’re digging into the ground around a property, you’ll benefit from utility locating. Even if it’s a minor job like digging a trench to install a fence around your commercial property – utility locating ensures you don’t accidentally dig into a sewage line or telecom cables.
While it may seem like overkill in some situations, consider the benefits compared to the possible consequences. If you dig and damage a utility line on a small project, it suddenly turns into a more complicated and expensive repair job! Locating the utilities beforehand prevents this and can save time, money, and stress.
MYTH 3: Calling 811 Is Optional
For those that are unaware, 811 is the “Call Before You Dig” hotline providing you with nationwide access to utility locating. It will help you see an approximate location of buried utilities around your property – though some people assume calling this number is optional when embarking on excavation projects.
That’s a huge myth. You should call 811 when doing any type of digging project. It may take a few days, but the utility companies will visit your commercial property and mark their lines with paint or flags so you know where to avoid digging. It’s an easy way to get an approximate view of public utility lines before starting a project.
MYTH 4: Calling 811 Is All You Need To Do
Ironically, some people also believe that calling 811 is the only thing you need to do to locate all utilities. While an essential step in the utility locating process, it will only solve half the problem. As noted above, 811 helps you see public utility lines – it won’t show you any utilities on private property.
Keep this in mind if you’re digging up private property as you’ll need a detailed utility locating service to uncover any potentially hidden utility lines that aren’t picked up by 811.
MYTH 5: All Utility Lines Are Buried Deep & Will Be Safe
This is one of the biggest myths about utility locating. People think their utility lines are always buried extremely deep below the surface. As such, having a rough estimate of where they are is enough for most projects. You’re not digging deep enough to disrupt them, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Of course, this is far from true. Utilities can be buried fairly near the surface – far closer than most people realize. You need an accurate viewpoint of how deep they are, preventing any serious problems from occurring – like accidentally digging through key lines to your home or commercial property.
MYTH 6: You Can Locate Utility Lines By Yourself
We’ll end with an egregious myth that gets a lot of individuals in trouble. There’s a huge misconception that anyone can locate utility lines by themselves with a few pieces of equipment. Some people buy items off Amazon while others believe a metal detector is all that’s needed.
As you can imagine, this is extremely false. Specialist equipment is required to accurately detect and map out utility lines underground. This equipment isn’t sold to the public and requires years of experience to learn how to operate. Moreover, different utility lines are detected using different equipment/software – so there’s absolutely zero chance of doing this successfully on your own.
Next time you plan an excavation project – regardless of the size – be sure to get professional utility locating services so you know exactly where all the lines are. We’re happy to help with this; give Muller a call today and we’ll arrange an appointment to locate all of your underground utilities.