Underground utilities?

[Wade Lippman]

I am going to plant a tree near a utility pole. It is several feet off the direct line from the pole to my house. The gas line was just marked (don't know why, but when my neighbor had it done they did mine also...) and it is near where I would expect the electric/cable to be. 3 years ago I had some landscaping professionally done in the same area and they didn't mark the electric, saying it was privately installed and they don't know where it is. The landscaper thought it was safe and planted 3 trees, but I am anal about these things.

1) How deep are these likely to have been buried in 2005?
2) Is it likely the electric and cable are in the same trench as the gas? (they all go the same place, and come from about the same place)
3) Are electric and cable sturdy enough to survive being hit by a shovel?

I know you haven't seen it, and things are often different than what they should be; just asking what is normal.

[Roger Nair]

When in doubt, we can call Miss Utility and people will come to your lot and mark the underground services. If you don't get the survey, you can be held libel for damages and repair. Call the utility company and get a referral or ask an excavator, they should know.

[Mike Henderson]

I hit a buried electric line (240V) at a house one time. The transformer was at the back of the lot next door and the power to my house ran from there, underground, to the meter on my house. I was putting in a fence and digging the hole for a post when I hit the power line. My shovel had a nice round "ding" in the edge where it hit the power line - there were some sparks (not a lot) and the power went off. I assume they have some fusing in the transformer to protect the transformer. I never felt a thing (wooden handle).

The power company came by and when I told them what happened, they said it was common to have someone hit a buried line when putting in a fence. Anyway, they fixed the line - had to dig up the area - and did whatever they needed to do in the transformer housing and I was back in business. Didn't charge me anything.

I never even thought the power line might be there or I would have called to have it marked.

Oh, I'm going to guess that it was over two feed down - probably just over two feet. Certainly not three.

Mike

[Wayne Lomman]

Get a contractor to map it. As Roger said, if you damage it you are liable and if you need to do future work, digging up services under trees is expensive.

A neighbouring farmer to me got the maps off the telephone mob, it said the cable was the other side of the road, so he thought, no worries and bored a new post hole and it cut the cable to the whole district. He tried to blame the phone company at which point they directed him to the fine print which says the maps may not be accurate. He had to pay. He is still regretting not getting an actual detection contractor. Cheers

[Myk Rian]

3) Are electric and cable sturdy enough to survive being hit by a shovel?

Is anyone willing to be electrocuted finding out?

[Sean Troy]

I am going to plant a tree near a utility pole. It is several feet off the direct line from the pole to my house. The gas line was just marked (don't know why, but when my neighbor had it done they did mine also...) and it is near where I would expect the electric/cable to be. 3 years ago I had some landscaping professionally done in the same area and they didn't mark the electric, saying it was privately installed and they don't know where it is. The landscaper thought it was safe and planted 3 trees, but I am anal about these things.

1) How deep are these likely to have been buried in 2005?
2) Is it likely the electric and cable are in the same trench as the gas? (they all go the same place, and come from about the same place)
3) Are electric and cable sturdy enough to survive being hit by a shovel?

I know you haven't seen it, and things are often different than what they should be; just asking what is normal.

When a backhoe was being used to dig footers for my shop, the operator did one last scrap and gently hit the power cable. Quite the explosion and burned a hole in the backhoes bucket. It's not not worth it at all to even try digging around a buried power line. You would not likely survive it or wished you didn't.

[Wade Lippman]

Simpler question...
They go underground and come back up in heavy pvc conduit. Does that go all the way?

[Mike Cutler]

1) How deep are these likely to have been buried in 2005?
2) Is it likely the electric and cable are in the same trench as the gas? (they all go the same place, and come from about the same place)
3) Are electric and cable sturdy enough to survive being hit by a shovel?

I know you haven't seen it, and things are often different than what they should be; just asking what is normal.

1.) 18" nominal. Frost protection, heaving, may apply based on zone.
2.) Yes and no. The may be in a common Trench, but the gas should have marker tape on it. They may have different substrate requirements based on zoning.
3.) No, and you may not be either. Both are probably direct burial.

Wade
It only cost a couple hundred to have a service come out and map them for you. In some local's the utility company will do it for free. I would have it done.
In 2005 there would be a map on file showing the burial locations. It had to be inspected prior to filling.

PS
the water might be 3 -1/2' below the electric.

[Howard Garner]

Yes, get it checked.
Down here is SC we have a state wide number to call that in turn notifies all the utilities to check at your work site.
This is a free service. Check with any of you local untilities for something like that in your area.
Talk nice to the guys/gals that come to do the work, they may only be required to check to the property line.

Howard Garner

[Frederick Skelly]

Just an aside..... I know a guy who put in his own swimming pool. While operating a rented backhoe, he hit a buried power line. It was deemed to be his fault and cost him TWENTY THOUSAND dollars. His wife came extremely close to having a full-up mental breakdown over it.

[Wade Lippman]

Yes, get it checked.
Down here is SC we have a state wide number to call that in turn notifies all the utilities to check at your work site.
This is a free service. Check with any of you local untilities for something like that in your area.
Talk nice to the guys/gals that come to do the work, they may only be required to check to the property line.

Howard Garner

But like I said, when I called them 3 years ago they said it was privately installed and they have no idea.

This is for a 20" deep hand dug hole for a tree.
If the cables run in the same conduits they go into and out off the ground, I don't think a shovel could dent it. Which is why I asked about the conduit.

[Bruce Page]

Checking for underground utilities is a free service here. I've had the out two different times. They seemed happy to do it.

[Pat Barry]

But like I said, when I called them 3 years ago they said it was privately installed and they have no idea.

This is for a 20" deep hand dug hole for a tree.
If the cables run in the same conduits they go into and out off the ground, I don't think a shovel could dent it. Which is why I asked about the conduit.

I believe that its the job of these folks to figure out where the lines go and they do it using special electronic equipment. They don't have a map.

[Myk Rian]

I don't think a shovel could dent it. Which is why I asked about the conduit.

You don't know much about the power of a shovel. I don't care if its PVC, steel pipe, or whatever else. A shovel will break it.
Call 1-800-962-7962 in N.Y.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I've used free service more than once. Even if we dug there last month, we call again. I have electric running down driveway for lights, and to well pump, which they aren't required to locate. A $20 tip had them located in a couple minutes though. Good money spent. Several years back, contractor digging foundation for new stop lights bored into gas line. He lost a rig during fire, but no one was hurt. This was directly across street from hospital, which means they lost gas service too. After all was said and done, it was concluded that gas line wasn't marked correctly. Prior to digging, I like to take pictures of markings for reference, just in case.