I’m sure you are aware of the local 811 services in your area, but did you know your state has laws pertaining to line locating, and they can vary state-to-state? You can find out what is required in your state by visiting the national 811 site, call811.com. Simply click on the “811 in Your State” link and select your state. You can then submit a locating request or visit your state’s 811 site.
For the purpose of this newsletter, I’m going to point out some common North Carolina FAQs as they pertain to the 811 process.
If you intend to excavate your customer’s yard for the purpose of buried gas lines or a buried propane tank, then you will need to notify 811 at least 3 days prior to your service appointment. You can track your request on the nc811.org website to make sure it has been completed. I would highly recommend that you mark your intended excavation in white paint or flags. You will also want to notify your customer that they are responsible for any private utilities located on their property. Common private lines could be sprinkler lines, invisible pet fences, satellite tv cables, water and sewer lines, and power lines to an outbuilding or appliance like a pool heater. These are not marked by utility locators, but should be identified prior to beginning your work.
Once lines are marked, you can identify what each marking is. There is a standardized color code for each utility. Power lines are marked in red, gas is yellow, communication lines are orange, water is blue, sewer is green, and purple is for reclaimed water, irrigation, or slurry lines. Intended excavation is marked in white. You need to be cautious around these markings and do your best to either stay 24-36” outside of the markings or hand dig over them.
Propane gas lines are considered a private utility in most cases. 811 laws do not apply to them. There is no law requiring you to mark your lines for free or even mark them within a certain time fame. That being said, I would advise you to have a best practice in place to charge a fair price and work these appointments into your schedule as quickly as possible or you will end up with a gas leak or after hours call! Invest in line locators and keep them on your service trucks so these appointments can be easily worked into the day, as they will typically take a half hour or less.
By properly using the 811 system, you will protect your employees and customers from dangerous situations. Your customers will also avoid the inconvenience of a utility outage. You will also protect your bottom line by avoiding costly mistakes. In addition to the state 811 system, by having a best practice in place for marking gas lines, you can tap into a profitable line of business that requires minimal time and labor. Be sure to educate both your staff and your customers on this important step in the gas installation process!
Product Spotlight:
Rycom Line Locators
SnapTRACK LPTX
Built on a proven design, and with Pathfinder SAF Technology™ at its core, the SnapTRACK® offers RYCOM’s most advanced signal acquisition and filtering technology. The SnapTRACK® cable & pipe locator offers utility locators FrequencyFlex™ allowing users to adapt the system to their specific needs. Multiple active frequencies allow the user to accurately locate with a minimum of interference while maintaining the ability continue locating past faults and around conduit bends. Passive frequencies identify "live" and charged lines by their naturally occurring electromagnetic fields.
The Stick
Built with Pathfinder SAF Technology™ at its core, the Stick offers RYCOM’s most sophisticated technology in an economical package. Pathfinder SAF Technology™ is the heart of our premium locators, now RYCOM is applying this proven technology throughout the entire product line. From crowded easements, to long runs of pipe, to the most demanding of locating environments, users can depend on The Stick. Dependability is not only driven by the internal technology, but The Stick is built to last with an aluminum housing and sealed against weather. The ruggedly designed and well balanced receiver includes an LCD screen providing relative and actual signal strength, as well as a speaker for variable audio pitch.
FM15Y Marking Paint
Acrylic based paint developed for the retail petroleum market. It is used primarily to mark and identify gas lines. Features a specially designed cap that enables fast, even application with little or no over spray. Dries within 8 to 10 minutes.
Shovel Barrier
Standard caution tape serves no purpose when typical underground gas lines are installed shallow enough to be struck by excavation on the first penetration of ground. Standard caution tape also commonly fails to notify the excavator because it is easily broken and missed due to its random placement in a trench over utility lines. Shovel Barrier has the ability to bring excavation to a halt by having strategic placement and acting as a actual barrier over utility lines. A woven geotextile with an extreme breaking strength, Shovel Barrier adds significant protection, warns, and can be used to locate any underground utility line it is installed over.
Detector Tape
Detectable tape comes in a 2 in width, 1000 ft length and is packaged 1 per case. These detectable tapes often have a pattern or text on them for clear marking and identification. This product is labeled with CAUTION GAS LINE BELOW. This is a non-adhesive based detectable tape. When purchasing this product, consider the thickness. The variances in thickness often make an important difference in proper performance. This detectable tape has a 7 mil thickness.
Tracer Wire
Kris-Tech’s next-generation tracer wire solution provides everything you need to locate and protect your underground utility assets. Designed for performance and durability, the Kris-Tech Total Tracer Wire Solution helps eliminate costly injuries and infrastructure repairs due to careless digging. All components of the Kris-Tech Total Tracer Wire solution are proudly made in the USA.
