Are you or your company about to disembark on a dig? Whether it’s to install new services, renovate land, or make way for some new landscaping, there is one important thing you must do first: locate utilities that may be buried in the ground.

Before you do any digging, you must have a professional company locate utilities such as sewer lines, electrical lines, water or plumbing lines, just to name a few. A failure to properly locate these lines is not only a hassle, it’s potentially dangerous, as well. 

In order to better understand the necessity of locating utilities before you dig, read on to find out more about the dangers of unknown utilities and why it’s best to hire a professional NDT inspection when attempting to locate buried utility lines. 

Dangers of Unknown Utilities

There are many dangers associated with unknown utilities; or rather, dangers associated with digging up land without knowing what (if any) utilities are buried there--and where those utilities are located. 

For one, if you or your crew accidentally dig into electrical lines, you will be disrupting electrical services. The lines will need to be prepared, which could actually cost your company money depending on local ordinances and laws regarding buried utilities.

Another issue associated with not knowing the location of buried utilities is genuine danger. Depending on the type of line that is buried, you or your crew could be putting yourselves, as well as any people or homeowners in the vicinity, in harm’s way. 

One-Call VS. NDT Inspection

There is a service known as "one-call" which is designed to help people and organizations locate utility lines. However, this one-call service is very limited and is likely not going to be genuinely thorough or helpful in most cases. One-call services only locate a public utility. Anything other than a public utility will not be marked for future reference. 

For instance, one-call does not cover locating sewer lines or storm sewers; electrical lines to exterior buildings, such as barns or an exterior garage; gas lines to certain types of gas-run features, such as a fire pit or a heated pool. This lack of utility marketing is even more prominent when it comes to commercial properties, as one-call services won’t even locate electrical wiring in spaces like parking lots.

Thankfully, there is an option out there: private inspection services. The best type of private inspection service to call before digging is an NDT inspection service. An NDT inspection, or a non-destructive testing inspection, can locate far more utilities than public utilities.

NDT inspection services can locate a vast array of utilities, and they can do these inspections in just about any type of designated space. This includes commercial, residential, industrial, and even service specific spaces such as gas stations or industrial spaces.

Remember: inspections are essential before you do any digging, no matter what the project or circumstances. Running into unknown utilities is not only going to cost you money in the long run, it’s potentially dangerous as well. Hiring an NDT inspection service before you dig is the best option to ensure that things run smoothly. If you are searching for NDT inspection services, Steel City NDT is the company to contact.