New System More Efficient, With the Proper Information

The NH Dig Safe rules cover nearly every kind of public excavation. An "excavator" is any person performing an excavation. Highway departments are frequent “excavators.” Therefore, they must notify Dig Safe System, Inc. (DSS) 3 days before digging. (This excludes Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.)

DSS notifies member companies of proposed excavation projects. Then members identify the location of underground facilities. DSS gives callers a permit number as confirmation. That “ticket” is good for 30 days. Any digging after that requires another permit.

DSS recently upgraded its computer system. Some callers have seen no change. They have rou­tinely provided information that fits the new system. Others, however, must now give different information. This article is for those people, and for those who will begin requesting Dig Safe permits. Understanding the system should help everyone efficiently acquire permits.

Using a computer system DSS determines which utility companies to notify. In the past, DSS relied on a database of street names. Utilities supplied a list of streets where they had buried facilities. The database could only search for streets in their entirety but not for street segments. When DSS staff punched in a street name, all the companies listed received the excavation notice.

However, a utility might have buried lines on only a street section. When it still received an exca­vation notice, it had to investigate it. This was inef­ficient for both the member utilities and the callers seeking permits.

DSS now uses more efficient GIS/GPS tech­nology. It can now identify precisely the utilities in the excavation area. That is, it can if it has the needed information.

DSS can notify the affected companies if callers provide one of these information types:

1. Address; e.g., 25 Main St.
2. Address Range; e.g., 5-25 Main St.
3. Intersection; e.g., Main St. at Green St.
4. Latitude and Longitude Coordinates (LLC); e.g., Latitude 42.4795875° North and Longi­tude 71.1192741° West.

This information is usually sufficient to identify location. However, more information can speed buried line location. The following will help utility locators define the exact project area and mark bur­ied facilities.

• pole, post, pedestal, transformer, or manhole numbers
• lot numbers
• new streets and developments
• place names, such as McDonalds or the Public Library
• mile markers and exit numbers of highways
• locations that begin at an intersection and then proceed down either street

At times, callers cannot give an address, address range, intersection, or LLC. DSS staff must still locate the proposed excavation area on their maps. Therefore, the caller must provide other informa­tion. Most important are distance and direction from existing streets. Distance should be in feet. The staff member then draws a polygon to define the excavation area. Staff will often add information as comments. The computer system will notify the affected utilities.

The following are examples of when DSS staff will need additional information.

Example 1: For pole, post, pedestal, trans­former, or manhole numbers; place names; lot numbers. The caller plans to replace a speed limit sign post. An address, an intersection, or LLC are not available.

The caller must give distance and direction information. An example is “Replacing the 35 mph speed limit sign on the north side of Montvale Ave­nue 250 feet east of Main Street.”

Example 2: For New Streets. The city/town plans to repair ditches along a road that might not appear on recent maps.

DSS staff needs distance and direction infor­mation from mapped streets to define the excava­tion area. For example, “Grading the ditches for 850 feet on both sides of Springdale Road. It goes north from Main Street, starting 600 feet west of Elm Street.”

Example 3: Excavation at a location with­out an address. Highway crews will install new guardrail for a steep slope on Rural Road. An address, an intersection, or LLC are not available.

DSS staff needs the intersecting street names, and distances and directions. For example, “Install­ing a guardrail on the south side of Rural Road between Main Street and Elm Street. It begins 350 feet from Main Street for a length of 110 feet.”

Municipal highway departments must notify Dig Safe before any excavation. If they provide the necessary information, they will receive a permit number. The best information is an address, address range, intersection, or LLC. If not, they must pro­vide distance and direction information.

Municipal officials can notify DSS by phone at 1-888-dig-safe. They can apply online at www.digsafe.com (click on “Online Options.”) The website also has information and forms under “Ser­vices.”

In addition, excavators must “premark” exca­vation areas. They must define the point or perime­ter with white paint, stakes, or other white markings.

Thanks to Lisa Faso. Dig Safe System, Inc. Public Relations Represen­tative, who provided basic information and reviewed this article.

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