WHY ONE CALL / 811 WON’T FIND ALL UTILITIES

Before you start a project that involves excavation or breaking ground—whether you’re a homeowner, contractor, landscaper, or even a large municipality—there is something you have to take into account: There are utilities buried below the ground surface that can cause conflicts, hamper progress, wreak financial havoc on your budget, and even cause physical (and, in the worst case, mortal) harm. …

Cartoon Utility Locator

THE DOWNFALLS OF UTILITY LOCATING

This article is about the downfalls of the utility locating job and industry, and why I left after 20 years. My background is in locating utilities in a large city in upstate New York, including water, sewer, sanitary, sewer, drainage, and electrical lines. First of all, let me say I think 20 years is too long to be in the …