Importance of Line Locating

Taking the time to locate a site properly doesn’t only save time and money in the long run, but it can also prevent serious trauma and loss of life.

As in any province throughout Canada, Alberta’s intricate and extensive underground infrastructure of cables and pipes is valued in the billions of dollars.  Most of these buried facilities are paramount to the very survival of every community affected by their presence.

The cost of damaging buried facilities is much greater than most may suspect:

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The cost of interrupted services (power, water, communication, etc) can devastate a community, which relies heavily upon these services in order to function.  The inability to call 911 even once, is one time too many

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A locate technician's job is to protect buried facilities from damage, and the general public from dangerous situations occurring when disturbing the ground.  Line locating by a qualified, competent locate technician should be your first priority before you begin any ground disturbance. 

If you don't use a reputable locating service, and a buried utility is hit, you will be responsible for paying damages and repair for that underground facility, plus any damages to surrounding property/personnel as a direct result of the strike on the buried facility.  Just remember that two of those utilities (power and gas) can kill you or the operator of the digging equipment.

A proper locate will ensure that you maintain safe working distances and will allow you to complete your project in a safe and timely manner, thus saving you costly downtime and project delays.  An accurate locate is, at the very least, cheap insurance.  It can also save your life.

Whether you're a major utilities owner, a backyard landscaping enthusiast, a building contractor, or a farmer erecting fences, please practice due diligence and request locates by qualified, competent locate technicians..