What’s That? Utility Flags & Markings

Utility flagging and temporary paint markings can tell a tale of future work or serve as a clear alert of unseen hazards. But what do they mean?

Well, that was easy…a glance at the color coded flag image above can quickly orient the viewer to what’s proposed and what’s existing–and that’s the goal!

Whether indicating a full-scale underground fiber network build (as the PUD is conducting across much of the county) or as simple as a neighbor looking to place a mailbox post, marking of utilities is essential for the safety and reliability of services.

How the process works: 8-1-1

Dialing 8-1-1 directs your digging question to affected utilities. It’s a 100% free location check that will be handled within 48 hours. Nobody wants to cut their internet cable, or poke a hole into a sewer line, or potentially strike a high voltage line. You can also place a locate service request via the 8-1-1 website: www.callbeforeyoudig.org/washington and click the “Homeowners” tab.

When you call you’ll be asked to provide the following information:

• Where you plan to dig, and
• The type of work you will be doing.

You will also need to outline your dig area with white paint; this helps utilities identify the proposed dig area quickly and accurately. Affected local utility companies

will be notified about your intent to dig. For the PUD, this would mean a visit by our meter reader staff. PUD meter staff handle utility locates, whether they be water, sewer, power, or broadband. PUD staff will mark the approximate location of underground utilities, following the APWA color codes shown above.

Markings types range from individual flagging to (most often) a chalk-based paint that will wash away over time.

Crazy Fact: It may seem like there would be nothing below ground in many areas of the county when, in fact, there is often a complex patchwork of utilities ranging from 18″ deep (communications) to 48″ deep or more (water and sewer). All of this is well documented by utilities and often is unknown to homeowners.

Do the locates run through your planned work area? We ask that customers with overlapping utilities within their white painted zone (or even close to it) please contact our customer service team at (360) 385-5800. Our team will direct your inquiry to the appropriate department, be it electric, water, or broadband for followup. The easiest route, if the work is something simple like a post for a mail box or the like, is to move the intended location away from the utilities.

For larger projects, such as when hiring a contractor to run power to a new shop, or the addition of a French drain away from the home, the selected contractor will

often be the one to call in locates and will work with utility providers to navigate the work zone.

Super important: Digging anywhere in the state of Washington without calling for a utility locate is against state law. Failure to call may result in fines, charges for damages, and criminal convictions.

So, when you see flagging and marking paint on the ground, think of it like the headline of a story. It provides a starting point to the project that follows in the next chapter.