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| If you plan to cross or work near underground utility lines, getting the 811 locate done is the first step – but not the only step – to identify where lines are buried. After utilities have been located and marked, you must safely determine their precise location. Potholing (or daylighting) with hand tools or vacuum excavation techniques is the best way to do this. |
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| Don’t make assumptions |
| Assuming you know the exact location of a utility line before power digging is a recipe for disaster. Keep in mind that flags and painted lines from an 811 locate show you the direction in which the marked utility runs and its approximate location. The only way to verify a line’s actual depth and location and ensure that the line is out of harm’s way is to dig a pothole and see the line with your own eyes. |
| Choose the appropriate method |
| Potholing involves digging small test holes to the depth of your planned excavation in order to expose and visually verify a marked utility line. For small, straightforward projects, hand digging with blunt tools may be sufficient. However, larger and more complex projects may require vacuum and hydro excavation to expose underground utilities buried deep, in tight spaces or in highly compacted soil. |
| Dig with care |
| State law requires you to use prudent digging techniques within the tolerance zone. (This zone spans the width of a marked utility line plus 18 inches beyond each indicated outside edge of the utility line.) If hand digging, use a rounded or blunt-edged shovel. Sharp tools like pickaxes, mattocks, pry bars or pointed spades may gouge or puncture lines. If using a hydrovac, opt for higher flow, lower pressure and a spinner tip. |
| If you cannot find a marked facility within the tolerance zone, notify the Pennsylvania One Call System by dialing 811. Continue to dig prudently until the precise location of the facility is identified or you are informed there are no facilities in your dig area. |
| Report ALL damage |
| Even a slight gouge, scrape or dent to a utility conduit or its coating may interrupt service or cause a hazard. If you contact a utility line while potholing, report it to PPL Electric Utilities immediately, even if damage is not visible. Our crews will inspect the line and make the necessary repairs. |
| Would you like to know more? |
| Additional utility safety tips, case studies, instructional videos and educational tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on PPL Electric Utilities' e‑SMARTworkers website. |
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