Why is USIC at my house?

If you’ve recently spotted a USIC technician spray painting lines or placing flags in your yard, you might be wondering, “Why is USIC at my house?” Don’t worry – it’s all about ensuring safety and protecting underground infrastructure. 

Rest assured, if you notice USIC employees in your yard, there’s always a valid reason. They are marking public utility lines such as gas lines, telecommunications lines, electric lines, sewer lines, water supply lines, and fiber buried on your property. 

If you’re planning a major digging project in your yard, you too may call 811 to get them to locate any utility lines on your property. This step makes your home improvement project hassle-free for you as well as your neighbors.

What is USIC?

US Infrastructure Corporation or USIC, an acquisition of OMERS Private Equity, is one of the most trusted names in high damage prevention of underground utilities throughout the United States. They are the nation’s leader and largest provider of public utility locating services, specializing in the critical task of identifying underground utility lines before any digging or construction happens.

The service providers specialize in identifying, marking, and mapping utility lines. These highly trained technicians perform more than 80 million finds annually besides helping with both design and excavation processes. They deal with any underground utilities that support the infrastructure of that area.

Each year, USIC performs millions of locates across the country to protect critical infrastructure. Whether you’re a homeowner planning a DIY project or a construction team breaking ground, locating underground utilities is essential to avoid costly and dangerous accidents.

Why is USIC important?

USIC is a critical player in damage prevention. Their work ensures that your property remains safe from accidental utility line damage and keeps your community’s underground infrastructure intact. From small residential projects to large-scale construction, having those underground utility lines accurately marked is essential to maintaining the integrity of public services. USIC is the go-to expert in keeping neighborhoods safe and connected.

It’s really critical to identify the exact locations of underground utilities. Failure to do so can result in extensive damage – leading to service disruptions, serious injuries, and even death.

If the property owner is found responsible for such damage, they may be levied heavy fines. Besides, they will have to deal with costly repairs.

Read more: How to deal with emergency home maintenance

What is an underground utility line?

Underground utilities include all below-ground lines, installations, or structures laid out by a service or utility provider. Basically, it refers to all your underground internet cables, telephone lines, water service lines, sewer lines, electrical lines, gas lines, and traffic signal lines.

Keep in mind that these underground cables may have varying depths. For example, low-voltage underground electric lines may be as shallow as 18 inches, while higher-voltage circuits are generally deeper than 24 inches.

Why is it important to locate utility lines?

Underground utility lines are part of the critical infrastructure that keeps our homes and communities functioning. Without proper marking, construction work can unintentionally damage these lines, which could disrupt essential services such as electricity, gas, and water supply. Damaging a gas line, for instance, can lead to serious safety risks such as explosions, while cutting a fiber optic line could knock out internet services in your entire neighborhood.

By locating and marking utility lines, USIC helps prevent these dangerous scenarios, allowing building projects to proceed safely. They also assist in ensuring compliance with local and federal regulations about digging and construction.

Why are there utility banners in my yard?

Banners are for marking the utility lines. There could be different reasons for utility banners on your property. Perhaps to fix a fire hydrant across the road or your immediate neighbors may want an additional electrical line.

Another reason could be that you’re planning a digging project and your architect or engineer demands to have the utilities marked so that they can plan the frameworks for new utilities. 

What do the banner tones represent?

The colors of the banners follow The American Public Works Association (APWA) Uniform Color Code. There is a shading code graph that portrays the area of the underground utilities. You can look at the helpful graph below for a good idea.

Can I move the utility banners?

No, you cannot move the utility banners. If you see USIC employees marking your yard, it’s best to leave the flags and paint alone. It may be tempting to move them for convenience, but doing so can lead to major issues.

In fact, in many states, it’s considered illegal or punishable to alter any underground utility markings put there as per the Call 811 burrow laws.

Moving or tampering with underground utility markers or paint markings will make a property holder obligated for any damage or harm in that area. And, it can turn costly as well as ugly. If you must move the banners, it’s advisable to call 811 and talk to the administrators and inquire about the reasons behind the banners at your location. 

You can also contact the respective service organization that sets the banners. Their colors should give you an indication of whom to contact.  

How does the 811 system work?

The system is simple: before you dig, call 811. When you do, the appropriate utility companies will be notified, and USIC will be dispatched to your location to mark any underground utility lines with colored paint or flags. This service is free and a legal requirement in most states before starting any excavation project.

Once the lines are marked, you’ll know exactly where it’s safe to dig. This helps you avoid damaging anything that could harm you or your property.

Why is USIC at my house? Last thoughts 

USIC, thanks to its practical experience in the field, consistently meets the requirement of finding, stamping, and planning utility lines. That should tell you how important underground utility locating services are for every homeowner who’s planning a major unearthing project and has to know the exact location of all the underground utility lines on their property.

Moreover, a neighbor or a local utility company may also want to mark these underground utility lines for safety reasons and harm avoidance. 

Locating underground utility lines is more than just a precaution – it’s a vital step in public safety. And, damaging a utility line can lead to service disruptions, fires, explosions, or even injury or death. Additionally, you could be responsible for expensive repairs and face fines if the damage occurs because you didn’t have the lines marked.

USIC technicians use spray paint and flags to mark where different types of utility lines are buried. Each color represents a different type of utility. For example, red marks electric lines, yellow marks gas supply lines, and blue marks water lines. This way, anyone digging in the area knows where to avoid, keeping everyone safe.

We’re sure now you’ll not be asking, Why is USIC at my house? USIC, a good and reliable utility locator, helps in making a neighborhood safe and convenient for its residents. With over 80,000,000 locates a year USIC services continue leading the industry in determining the routes of underground cables, pipelines, and other conduits.

FAQs

What happens if I hit a utility line by mistake?

If you hit an underground utility line, it can lead to serious safety hazards such as gas leaks, power outages, or even explosions. Additionally, you may be held responsible for the damage, and repairing it could be costly. That’s why locating utilities beforehand is so important.

How accurate are USIC’s markings?

USIC technicians use advanced tools and equipment to accurately detect and mark underground utilities. However, the depth and exact placement of utilities can vary, so it’s important to avoid digging directly on or too close to the markings.

How long do the utility markings last?

The paint markings typically last a few weeks, depending on weather conditions, while flags can be left in place until the project is completed. If the markings fade or the flags are removed before the project is finished, you may need to call 811 for a re-mark.

Who pays for USIC’s locate request?

In most cases, USIC’s services are free to homeowners and small project planners because the cost is typically covered by the utility companies or the party requesting the locate. However, for large-scale projects, additional services may incur a fee.

Can USIC locate private utility lines?

USIC primarily locates public utility lines. If you have private utilities on your property, such as a sprinkler system, septic tank, or underground wiring that isn’t managed by a utility company, you may need to hire a private locator to mark these lines.

Read more: Common mistakes that lead to a damaged house

Written by Ramona Sinha. March 28, 2022

Ramona is the Senior Content Writer for Kukun. This experienced blogger uses simple and succinct words to decipher the complex phenomenon called life. She has written articles covering a broad range of topics, such as real estate, lending and mortgage, finance, business, taxation, home designs, home improvement projects, decor concepts, and more. An avid traveler, she’s a digital nomad at heart and an animal lover from the depth of her soul.