OWNER BUILT | TP OF THE MONTH

January

Blue Staking underground utilities

            Both populated and unpopulated areas are honeycombed with various underground utility types. These utilities support the normal everyday activities of companies and your neighbors. Disruptions in any service can be catastrophic and it can be avoided by calling Arizona Blue Stake at 1-800-782-5348. They are open Monday thru Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except holidays. This is a free service to you provided by the utility owners for the benefit of the excavator and owner of the property.

            Call Arizona Blue Stake at least two full working days before you dig. When possible, mark the spot with white paint so the locators can find your site, especially if it is in a difficult to describe location. Be prepared to provide the location of the excavation site including the address and cross streets. They will ask a few questions regarding the extent of your activities, the contractors involved, and legal descriptions of your jobsite. They will then provide a notice number and the utility company’s that are involved then they will notify the utility companies. Make sure your excavator has this information.

            The utility companies have two full working days to respond. If any utility company fails to respond contact Arizona Blue Stake and they will send another message requesting immediate response. The markings that the utility companies involved paint on the ground are good for fifteen working days. If a utility company has no conflict with the excavation site they will mark it as no conflict on the site or they will call you directly. Sometimes these markings will get erased and you can re-call blue stake or if the fifteen days has expired without the excavation being completed. Do not dig if all the markings are not visible.

     The color codes for the various utilities are        Red for electric
                                                                                       Yellow for gas and oil
                                                                                        Orange for fiber optic, phone, TV
                                                                                        Blue for water
                                                                                        Green for sewer
                                                                                        Purple for reclaimed water

Be aware that they will only mark the ground they own and maintain which is usually to the meter or the edge of the utility easement. Anything beyond that is customer owned and may not be marked. If any damage occurs to any underground utility report it to the utility owner immediately. Any damage, including nicks in cables and dents in steel piping can and will eventually cause it to fail.

* The information contained in this “tips” section is to be used as a general guide only. When making decisions about your project a professional should be consulted using the specific information that is unique to your project.