 Temporary markings of underground utilities! Have you ever seen different colored lines spray painted on someone’s lawn with a little bit “spilling” over on the asphalt road? Well, these are very important paint lines and each color represents a different utility. In order to provide conveniences to your home such as water, electricity, gas, telecommunications and, of course, a pipeline to get rid of sewage from the house, lines of wire or pipes have to be laid in the ground going from the street to your house. NOTE: If you have a septic tank, you can rule out the sewer line, but you definitely should know where on your property this tank is located and what maintenance needs to be done. If you want to switch from Comcast to Verizon for your Internet/Phone/TV service, or need to have a tree stump ground down, or have new shrubs or trees that you’d like to plant in your yard, or yes, even have your home remediated, your contractor needs to know where these pipes and wires are. Digging into an electric wire, could be deadly and costly. It is your contractor’s responsibility to call the proper authorities and have someone come out and with different colored-paint spray cans, mark where the wires leading from the road to your home. It is your responsibility to make sure that the markings are there when your contractor arrives to do the contracted work. No lines? No work! The American Public Works Association Uniform Color Codes for temporary marking of underground utilities are listed below: Red - Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables Orange – Telecommunications, alarm or signal lines, cables, or conduit Yellow – Natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other gaseous or flammable material Green – Sewers and drain lines Blue – Drinking water Violet – Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines Pink – Temporary survey markings, unknown/unidentified facilities White – Proposed excavation limits or route And don’t worry about these colors sticking around (except maybe on the asphalt road). Just a few grass cuttings and the lines are gone on your lawn! CommentsLeave a Reply |  Kathryn M. Barto AuthorHi! ArchivesOctober 2010 Categories |
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