Otherwise, it should pass at least 24 inches below ground. November 25, 2022 Day After Thanksgiving Holiday Click hereto see the list of assigned letter designations. How deep are the utilities? Failure to contact a utility service can lead to repair costs on your part if you damage the lines buried in your garden. All utility companies in the United States require the location of gas, electrical, and phone lines prior to any excavation. Typically, you will find gas lines at 24 inches below ground, while other utilities are 18 inches below ground. Its always wise to know the entire layout of the gas line before carrying out any digging activity near it. If the pipe cannot be buried to code-required depth, the code may provide some concessions for burying the line higher. Before it enters the ground, it is protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Usually, this is the water meter. Every six minutes, an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without calling 811. As long as you drain the sprinkler lines completely, they should remain intact through the winter. Check status of marking before excavating! Brass pipes even excel at transporting hot water. You can lay a copper telephone line at any depth underground as long as its in conduit. http://www.vita.virginia.gov/isp/default.aspx?id=12096. Laying electric cables underground helps keep humans safe from electrocution. Section 02220 Trenching, Backfilling and Compaction of Utilities Page 02220-2 City of Lynchburg, VA Manual of Specifications and Standard Details April 2020 . Furthermore, they can help with digging, or perform work around or under public land. This can be done at your convenience. Heres the breakdown. Call 811 to be sure of how deep are utilities buried. When working around buried facilities, remember that main lines are typically at least 2 feet deep while service lines are only at about 18 inches deep. Orange: Communications (telephone/ internet), alarms. Dont just dig blindly in an attempt to find them. It is therefore wise to get utility companies to mark these lines in your home so your construction activity wont damage them. Click the Show All link to display the entire list. Think of a straight line between the two points to get a general sense of where the water line runs across your yard. For ALL excavation work ANYWHERE in Virginia! Wait a few days (check your state's specific requirement here) to allow utilities to send out locators to mark buried lines with paint or flags. Check local rules and guidelines. Click here to enter your Single Address Ticket. References These paint marks will help minimize any potential damages to underground utility lines during excavation. Get the plans from your local pipeline operator, map out the area via GPRs and find out what the pipes are carrying. The electrical utility will feed conductors to the buildings basement and link them to the equipment, so they wont influence other electrical servicesor fire protection systems. Generally, you will find underground water lines deeper than other utility lines. The lowest frost point varies based on your climate and the quality of your soil. The 2-working day marking period starts at 7 AM on the next working day after the call. So, why did cast iron pipes fall out favor? To map all the underground utility lines, youll find the utility companies use a company to map and record such things as underground power, water lines and possibly gas lines. But you might be struggling to figure out what kind of paint to use on garage walls. They will ask you where youre planning to dig along with some identifying landmarks. Do not backfill if there is any damage. You have four options to run power lines underground through your yard. It is important to call 811 to find out if there is anything in the way that would prevent you from burying a water line. Keep in mind that the cable company can bury their TV cable about 6 inches under ground whereas the power company must now use underground cable and go close to 3 feet deep. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The national standard is 36 inches. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. How deep are residential utility lines buried in Texas? Your Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you. The Virginia Web Ticket Entry system does not just involve entering text information, it involves using our GIS mapping system as you identify your excavation area. If you provide either, our computer system will send you a confirmation message: 1) As soon as all utilities have posted a response on the system 2) or at the end of the 48 hour marking period (at 7 AM on the third working day after your call). so, you can complete your home renovation. You should bury a water line below the frost depth line so that it doesnt freeze in extremely cold temperatures. IMPORTANT Unless you have a dedicated fax telephone number and a fax machine that is capable of automatically answering an incoming fax call and receiving a message, do not provide us with your fax number. Virginia state law defines an emergency as follows Emergency means a sudden or unexpected occurrence involving a clear and imminent danger, demanding immediate action to prevent or mitigate loss of, or damage to, life, health, property, or essential public services. Some low voltage underground circuits could be as shallow as 18 inches, while most higher voltage circuits will be deeper than 24 inches. For ALL excavation work ANYWHERE in Virginia. Drawings with detailed measurements are required to be on file for new homes and there may be records available for older homes. Frost lines are primarily determined based on the climate in the area, so states with warm weather or mild winters typically have frost lines below 12. Utility operators or their contract locators locate and mark their own utilities. Youll want professionals to help you form the right trench, do the ductwork, and make sure the connections meet safety codes. Service, Inc. Public Awareness & Training Department at[emailprotected]or call our business office at (540) 985-9355. There can be any number of reasons why you might need to dig trenches or holes in your yard. Do not call more than 30 days before you begin your project. Longitudinal underground electric lines may be placed by plowing or open trench method. Section 21.40 - Underground Utilities (a) General. Our company is a full-service Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) firm. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Many states will regulate how deep or shallow your sewer line should be. Every digging job requires a call - even "small" projects like planting trees and shrubs. You may be specifically thinking of putting the water and electric lines together. Telephone and TV cable lines may be as shallow as 12 inches, water lines 48 inches or deeper in areas wher the ground freezes and sewer lines as deep as necessary to maintain gravity flow, 5, 10, 20 feet or more. If you arrive at the site of a proposed excavation and find unmarked utilities, Do NOT start digging. Regional services can use this number to find underground public utilities all around the country. Direct-bury GFCI-protected underground feeder cable with a short length of PVC conduit at the home for a 12-inch-deeper trench. If your work will not begin for 30 days or more after the initial marking, you should call 811again and have the marking repeated. Manner of installing underground utility lines. The generally applicable depth is 12 inches, or you can reduce it to 6 inches if you protect the cables with 2 inches of concrete. Its vital that you locate your underground sewer system and map it out before taking on any home improvement project. Additionally, inquire with the locality where new utility lines are to be placed underground about any local codes, standards, or regulations that specify minimum separation distances. Unless you live in an isolated location off the grid, theres a network of pipes and cables under your property supplying various utilities like gas, water, internet, TV, and sewage. November 11, 2021 Veterans Day Tickets can be issued by either server and for this reason the first character in the ticket numbers is either an A or B to identify which one issued the ticket. Placing them underground can stop that from happening. For example, municipal power that enters the home through the service drop is not part of the 811 program. Furthermore, if the water pipe is laid near other utility lines, such as a gas pipe, a minimum distance of 3 feet shall be maintained. The depth is measured from the finished ground level to the top of the pipe. This method is not conclusive. Call the number to locate the cable and if you're there when they do it most will give you an estimate on depth, but they won't guarantee how deep it is. No mechanized equipment of any kind may be used in the tolerance zone. The free 811 coordination service marks the location of utilities up to where the lines join to the home or service meter. Right click and select Save Target As to save the file to your computer for faster printing. In the case of landscaping activities above the utility lines, the final depth will be different from the original. If there is a dangerous or emergency situation, call 911 immediatelyand clear the area. Locating underground utilities is becoming more of a challenge as the vast array of lines in the ground continues to increase. ), Why Do Propane Tanks Freeze? Depth (minimum) How to Soften Wood for Axe Throwing 7 Popular Methods, 5 Best Types of Wood for Knife Throwing (Pros & Cons of Each), How to Tell If Firewood is Seasoned (for Beginners), When To Split Firewood & Why It is Necessary (5 Common Mistakes), Do Propane Heaters Produce Carbon Monoxide? Start your project. By the end, youll have a much better understanding of how deep are electric lines buried. On these ground marks, color codes reflect different utilities: Water pipes are buried 12 inches deep on average, however some are buried 12 inches deeper below the frost line. That begins by knowing the depth of your frost line (or frost depth). In geographical areas with colder climates, private lines may need to be buried several feet under the ground to avoid frozen pipes. Even if you know what the frost line is for the state, it may still differ for your property. Each state has a different frost line, and they vary widely from shallow to several feet deep. Waterproof conductors are required, thus look for a W on the label, such as THWN-2. They will get in touch with companies that have installed underground lines in your location, and mark special lines from the street to your yard. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Buried depth requirements of these utilities can vary from area to area. Above all, keep records, measure, take pictures, and document for future purposes. Always double-check by having the local 811 service visit your property and mark for utilities. The last thing you want is to set the pipes in place only to find out later that theyre too shallow. Private utility line owners (generally homeowners) must locate the lines that they own on their property or hire a locating contractor to do this work. Encasement shall be provided as outlined in this section. We have two servers that can issue tickets. The call agent then notifies any public utilities that might be affected by your digging and asks them to come out and mark utility lines. Trench length. It is a tough guide, but not always the case. the utilities) that own and maintain underground lines in the area. These lines are the ones that come from the main lines to your house. Over time it is possible that underground utility lines will rise towards the surface due to grading, erosion, etc. And there can be just as many different types of utility pipes and wires running through your lawn at different depths, any one of which could lead to an expensive or dangerous mishap if you cut into a line while digging. http://www.vita.virginia.gov/isp/default.aspx?id=12096, The Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, The Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act Rules, Click hereto see the list of assigned letter designations. The water pipe from the meter box to the house is owned by the homeowner. If no one talked to the locator, you may want to call the utility using the Field Contact information found on the e-mail confirmation from the Positive Response System.