Thought it could never happen to me...

[Chuck K.]

The last week has been eventful, sending a baseball through the bedroom window from the riding mower, A/C condesor almost overflowing the attic, and tractor seemingly stuck on the taiiler because the loading ramps are not long enough for the low ground clearance of the new back hoe. I had read many horror stories about digging up power cables, phone lines and the real exciting natural gas lines I though "not me"

After some doing I manage to get the tractor off the trailer with the too short of ramps, dont have time to make longer ones right now. I drive the tractor ~2 miles to the rent house to uncover the septic holding tanks. After a quick assesment where all the lines where that I remembered from living there for 20 years I start digging. About the 5th fill of the bucket up comes grey electrical conduit ,,, yep seems who ever installed the electric gate ran the power 4-6" deep right over the holding tanks. It almost pulls the breakers out of the box.. Keep in mind I have been working a lot of graveyard shifts (45 in a row) woke up early to get this done for the renters, they are having problems with toilets flushing etc. First time to even use the new BH, just picked it up yesterday... Now this... Man some days it seems its better off just stayin in bed......

 

[DieselPower]

I'm not sure if you have anything like it in your state but in MD and PA there is a state toll free phone number you can call. You tell them where you want to dig and they send out all the utility rep's to check for underground electric, water, telephone and fuel lines. They mark everything for you and best of all it's free. In Maryland it's called Mrs. Utility. I can't remember the name of the PA service.

 

[johnk]

Dieselpower,
Don't think that would have helped in this case. Sounds like the homeowner ran the stuff himself and not by code. UFPO only finds underground water, sewer, gas, electric and water that was a responsibility of the Utilitiy Companies..

 

[Adiredneck]

Our power company will not locate any service lines to homes. They locate underground primary wire only. Anything after the transformer is deemed to be the property owners' wire.

 

[Z-Michigan]

In Michigan the service is called Miss Dig. They will locate anything buried that belongs to a utility, which is usually right up to the foundation. If you ask nicely they may even give you "suggestions" of where your own private lines are (like the pipe and wiring from our house to our barn).

 

[DrainPondDesign]

Not to worry, anyone would have pulled up those wires trying to uncover the tank covers. reroute the wires, make a map & nail a copy to the inside garage or basement wall & keep a file copy. Then go have a beer and a few laughs.

If you ever dig near a utility right of way like near a road then you must call the utility company to mark out the lines, hitting kilovolt transmission lines or high pressure gas lines is quite spectacular and often deadly.