What to Expect with Underground Plumbing and Other Utility Lines During Excavation

When it comes to projects like leveling out a business parking lot or creating space for a new home or building foundation, you should always account for the time and equipment needed for digging. It should go without saying that large-scale land excavation projects require more planning tasks than just marking where you want to dig. Consult with an excavation expert for the best results, and make sure the team you choose for site excavation in Jeffersonville, IN has plenty of experience doing your particular type of project.

You want your project to go as smoothly as possible, but you also want fast completion and cost-efficiency. The presence of utility infrastructure on the job site can throw some curveballs your way, but with careful planning, it doesn’t have to derail your project. Let’s take a look at what you can expect when excavation is happening near plumbing and other underground utility lines.

Safety first

When we talk about safety, we’re referring to the safety of both people and existing underground utilities, such as plumbing, sewer lines, cables and wires. Luckily, a professional team has the skills to avoid accidents like digging into buried plumbing and utility lines and damaging healthy tree roots. There are strict security and safety guidelines in place that all excavators follow to ensure your excavation project goes off without a hitch. Here are a few key points:

• Pinpoint underground utilities: The last thing your excavating team wants to do is dig into the underground utilities on your property—especially active services like plumbing. This means that both active and old or unused utility lines should be located before your excavation project starts. Either call a utility locator company or county utility services person to come out and identify all cables, wires and pipes running underground. These folks have the special machines and tools required for the task.
• Mark location of buried utilities: Just as they would do if you were planning to dig a deep hole to plant a large tree, a utilities specialist will locate and mark where and what utilities are buried in your excavation site. These locations are clearly marked to inform heavy machinery and large excavating equipment operators where not to dig. Having lines properly marked allows you to go on with your project without worrying about damaging utility lines.
• Dealing with damage to lines: If your active plumbing lines are severed during the excavation process, you’re in for a serous delay in your project, and a higher cost. Ultimately, you could end up with a nasty mess where your dig was supposed to be. Ruptured water lines will need to be replaced and the entire plumbing system cleaned out (for safety and sanitation purposes). Someone will need to contact the water and sewer companies, as well as other utility services so they can check on any lines near the break.

Don’t gamble with a project of this size and complexity. If you are not an excavation expert, resist the urge to rent an excavator and attempt the project yourself. All sorts of things could go wrong—costly and irreversible things. Want to learn more about site excavation in Jeffersonville, IN? Call the team at Estes Excavating Inc. today to discuss your project!

Categorised in: Site Excavation

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