The first step in avoiding damage to buried utilities is to locate and mark buried pipes and cable. Failure to do so is the leading cause of accidental damage to underground infrastructure that can interrupt vital services, delay construction, result in significant expense, and cause serious injury or death.

State one-call agencies actively promote “call-before-you dig” campaigns to encourage the construction industry and property owners to notify their local one-call service before digging. The agency may provide a locate service to their member utilities or contact member utilities that may want to locate and mark their buried facilities. A three-digit national one-call number (811) now makes notification simpler. This number directs callers to their local one-call center.

However, one-call services often cannot locate all buried lines. Not all utility providers are members of one-call systems, and many times only utilities in public easements are included in one-call responsibilities. So, there are a number of situations that place the responsibility of marking and locating lines on the property owners and contractors.

Hershall Brown operated a remodeling business in Phoenix, Arizona, for several years, and at times his work required digging in lawns and grounds of his customers. Often there was no record of power, communications, cable, water, and gas lines to pool areas and other structures.

“To be sure I didn’t hit a power or electric line or buried pipe, I began using locators to find and mark them myself,” he said.

Recognizing other contractors also faced the need to locate buried lines, Brown started a contract locating business—Utility Mole—to serve that need.

“I got started with Arizona State University on its west campus,” he explained. “Because the university owns the property, the buried infrastructure does not fall under one-call jurisdiction. The university was pleased with my work and has called me back for other jobs.”

Brown’s locating business developed from there.

“I’ve done locates,” he said, “for small contractors, a large electrical contracting company, and at a Walmart store where management wanted to be sure that construction did not cut their data communications lines, which could be very costly.”

Other customers include Scottsdale Community College, Sun City Recreation Center, and Luke Air Force Base.

The instruments most often used to locate buried utilities are electronic locators consisting of a transmitter and handheld receiver.

Receivers use different frequencies and modes to help identify different types of utilities. In some situations, the receiver unit is all that is needed to locate electrical and television cable. The receiver picks up the signal created by current traveling through electrical cable, and television networks often carry electrical current sent back through cable from TV sets. To find telephone cable and metallic pipe, the transmitter is connected to cable or pipe and sends current through the line to create a signal that is detected by the receiver. For PVC pipe with tracer wire, the wire is energized by the transmitter to provide a signal that the receiver can pick up.

Using the right receiver is important, in Brown’s opinion.

“I’ve tried about everything on the market,” he said. “The one I found best and have used for most of my work is the Ditch Witch 75R/T. It’s got excellent sensitivity, yet it filters out most nearby utilities and interference from overhead lines.”

The receiver weighs only 4.3 pounds and is balanced for easy handling. Controls are easy to understand and the display is easy to read.

Recently Brown has used a newer model Ditch Witch 950R/T that has three modes and more than 20 frequencies. Simultaneous 8 and 29 kHz transmission capability provides an alternate signal if one is difficult to detect. For locating old tracer wires or pipes when low frequencies are not effective, 80 kHz can be used.

Ditch Witch locators are manufactured by The Charles Machine Works, Inc., the world’s leading provider of underground utility construction equipment, including trenchers, vibratory plows, horizontal directional drilling and tracking equipment, compact utility equipment, and related accessories and support equipment.