Importance of Locating Utilities Before Excavating

Before commencing any excavation project, it is crucial to consider various factors, including what lies beneath the ground. One key aspect is the identification and mapping of underground utilities. Utility lines, which carry essential resources such as gas, water, and electricity, are buried for protection against weather and external damage.

Damaging these utility lines during excavation can lead to significant consequences. Here are some reasons why locating utilities before excavation is essential:

Service Disruptions: Damaging a water or electrical line can disrupt the supply to your property, leaving you without essential services until repairs are completed. This disruption can also affect neighboring properties and businesses, leading to financial losses.

Property Damage: Damage to water lines can cause flooding and contamination, resulting in damage to your property's structure and surroundings. Damage to sewer lines can lead to health hazards and extensive cleanup efforts.

Fire and Safety Hazards: Excavating into electrical or gas lines can create fire and explosion hazards due to the high voltage and flammable nature of these utilities. This poses serious risks to both property and personal safety.

Liability and Cost: If you damage utility lines during excavation, you may be held liable for the repair costs, not only for your property but also for any surrounding areas affected by the damage. These repair costs can be substantial.

In conclusion, locating and mapping underground utilities before excavation is critical to avoid service disruptions, property damage, safety hazards, and financial liabilities. Below is an example of Damage to underground utility due to insufficient information and awareness on site.

Damage to underground electric cables likely caused fire, explosions in downtown Colorado Springs, investigators say

An explosion and power outage in downtown Colorado Springs in September 2023 was likely caused by damage to underground electric cables, according to Colorado Springs Utilities. The city-owned utility said the likely damage occurred when a private contractor used a truck-mounted drill without following state-mandated protocols.

The fire, which occurred in the early morning hours on Sept. 11, 2023, was not linked to an underground transformer, the utility agency said.

It did, however, cause "significant damage" to electrical equipment and led to a power outage that affected around 280 customers in the area, some for days.

Investigators couldn't pinpoint the damage to a specific timeframe. However, a spokesman for Springs Utilities said the agency is "using this opportunity to re-emphasize education efforts with local contractors on proper protocols."

Even minor damage to only one or two of Springs Utilities-owned electric cables can still cause a fire, the agency said. Evidence of the specific type of drilling and "extensive damage" was found beneath a plywood patch in at least one location under Kiowa Street, though in total, investigators found three potential points of origin.

To prevent this type of explosion from happening again, the agency said they would “be installing new technology on underground electric cables in the downtown area to better equip us to isolate a damaged cable from the rest of the system.”