Why You Need to Locate Private Underground Utility Lines

GPRS scans concrete two miles below the surface

SUMMARY: Over 60% of buried utility infrastructure is privately owned and managed by individuals, corporations, institutions, or municipalities.

A GPRS Project Manager, glad in tan workpants, a reflective long-sleeved work shirt, a red safety vest, gloves, and a white GPRS helmet, employs a walk-behind ground penetrating radar scanner in a grassy area with sidewalks in the distance. A digital tablet is affixed to his cart, and there is a can of blue spray paint in a holder on the handles.

Locating private or unregistered utility lines is a vital step prior to excavation to ensure the safety of your crew and the surrounding community.

Why Locate Private Utilities?

The Critical Role of Private Utility Locating in Preventing Underground Infrastructure Damage

Initiating excavation without a comprehensive private utility locate is akin to engaging in a high-risk gamble. While one may avoid disaster temporarily, continued neglect of underground surveying significantly increases the probability of severe consequences.

Modern infrastructure is heavily dependent on an intricate network of buried utilities that provide essential services such as electricity, water, natural gas, telecommunications, and more. Breaking ground without first enlisting the services of a qualified utility locating provider places those systems, and the safety of workers and the public, in jeopardy.

A yellow utility flag carrying GPRS’ logo in black marks the location of a gas line rises on a wire from a grassy area.

Utility location and mapping should occur prior to any excavation or construction because hitting even one line could result in costly and dangerous damage.

Accurate underground utility locating leverages advanced technologies, notably ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locating systems. These tools are used to detect, identify, and map the locations of various subsurface utilities within planned excavation zones. Their use is critical for mitigating risk, maintaining project integrity, and safeguarding human life.

In the United States, 811 One Call systems facilitate the identification of public utilities—assets managed by utility companies—prior to excavation activities. Calling 811 is federally and state mandated, and compliance is required regardless of project size or type. However, public utility location services under the 811 program do not include private infrastructure and do not provide depth estimations for the located assets.

This distinction is substantial. Over 60% of buried utility infrastructure is privately owned and managed by individuals, corporations, institutions, or municipalities. Failing to commission a private utility locate in such cases may result in catastrophic outcomes, including but not limited to disruption of electrical grids, water service interruptions, gas leaks, structural damage, and serious injury or fatalities due to explosions or electric shock.

To ensure comprehensive risk management, project stakeholders must secure both 811 services for public utilities and private utility locating services to identify all underground assets prior to excavation.

On a bright green lawn, the leg and lower arm/hand of a GPRS Project Manager can be seen to the left. His hand extends to the center of the image, where he is spraying blue paint onto the lawn. To the right of the image, you can see the back wheel and part of the casing of his walk-behind GPR unit.

What Private Utility Locates Reveal and Why It Matters

Private utility locating efforts uncover a broad range of subsurface elements. These include:

Electrical lines, fiber optics, telecommunications conduits, gas mains, water pipes, sewer infrastructure, irrigation systems, underground storage tanks (USTs), abandoned utilities, and unmarked assets installed during previous construction cycles

Identifying these elements before digging is crucial. Striking any single line can result in severe physical, financial, and legal implications. According to the 2021 Finch Report, commissioned by GPRS, the average financial impact of a utility strike was calculated at $56,000. This figure accounts for repair costs, delays, medical treatment, and, in some cases, full evacuation of populated areas.

More importantly, the safety risk posed by these incidents is the most serious concern. A gas line rupture can lead to combustion and fatalities. Severing an electrical line may result in electrocution. Striking a water main could result in flooding that compromises the excavation site, halting work for extended periods.

Numerous incidents underscore these dangers. In Huntsville, Alabama, an entire household was destroyed when a contractor inadvertently severed a gas main, triggering an explosion. A separate case in O’Fallon, Missouri, involved repeated gas line breaches at a broadband installation site, forcing recurring evacuations. In Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, a firefighter lost his life when a fiber optic line installation punctured a gas main, resulting in an explosion that decimated a city block.

Beyond the immediate toll, utility strikes damage a company’s credibility and may expose it to litigation or regulatory scrutiny. Reputational damage is difficult to reverse and often has lasting effects on market competitiveness.

Understanding the Timeframe and Process of a Locate

The duration of a utility locating project varies based on several criteria, including the area’s size, complexity, and subsurface conditions. Open fields can often be scanned relatively quickly, whereas urban intersections or institutional campuses may demand more extensive efforts.

To optimize project performance, GPRS Project Managers consult with clients to identify the excavation timeline and specific objectives. This information enables tailored scoping that guides equipment selection and deployment strategies.

GPRS professionals are certified under the company’s proprietary Subsurface Investigation Methodology (SIM), which includes 320 hours of hands-on field training and an additional 80 hours of classroom instruction. This rigorous process develops the technical acuity needed to interpret GPR and EM data in real time and ensures accurate utility mapping. GPRS also provides clients with georeferenced PDF and .KMZ files for outdoor utility locates at no additional cost.

The GPRS Difference

While it is possible to purchase or rent GPR and EM devices, possessing the equipment does not automatically confer the expertise needed to conduct a reliable survey. High-resolution GPR systems suitable for utility locating cost between $14,000 and $100,000 depending on frequency range, software integration, and compatibility with GPS and mapping tools. However, financial investment in the hardware represents only a fraction of the necessary resources. Substantial training and experience are essential for accurate data interpretation and situational judgment.

The performance of locating technology is directly influenced by the skill of the operator. This is why GPRS invests heavily in workforce training and mandates that all Project Managers meet its SIM certification standards. This ensures consistent application of field best practices, adherence to safety protocols, and delivery of actionable, high-confidence results.

By integrating industry-leading training, precision locating technologies, and a commitment to quality, GPRS enables clients to visualize subsurface infrastructure with a documented accuracy rate exceeding 99.8%. Our nationwide field team also provides consultation services to support the development of site-specific ground disturbance policies that promote safe, efficient, and compliant excavation operations.

GPRS is committed to helping you do excavate accurately, safely, and efficiently by Intelligently Visualizing The Built World®.

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