There was a small leak on a water service line leading to a building at a condominium complex. Once we identified the problem, we called to request an underground utility locate. Under the law, we need to request this and then mark the locations of all nearby underground services to protect workers from accidentally coming into contact with major power lines and gas lines, as well as to avoid cutting cable lines that provide phone and internet connectivity to residents in the complex.
Once the underground utilities were marked, we needed to complete the work by hand because we can’t machine dig within two feet of these lines. In this situation, we contacted the power company and requested that they de-energize the system. We took this step because the powerlines were direct burial, meaning that there was only a thin layer of plastic, rather than stronger conduit, around the lines and we would be digging within inches of them.
Once these precautions were taken, we hand-dug the trench, removed and replaced the damaged pipe and installed a valve. When the work was completed, electrical power was restored to the affected condo units.
