Our state just signed into law, all non-metal plumbing pipes must be accompanied with a tracer wire, this includes all sanitary sewers, storm sewers, private interceptor sewers, water services and private water mains.

This law takes effect December 31, 2006.

The wire can be 10, 12, or 14 gauge wire attached to all piping except gas piping.

Why have this law?

Too many times a utility company puts there utility poles right through a sewer and a costly mistake takes place. With today's technology such as moleing and directional drilling it will only be a matter of time, if not already when a gas line is punched through a sewer line.

If that sewer piping plugs because; of the obstructing gas line and you are called to router it out, well it could become a deadly concern.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

3 years before Google started PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]

seen it done,school yard had gas line drilled under bituman, the drill crushed the arm of the junction and pushed thru .Nothing better than see a a gas line
right in the middle of a sewer, we dug it out, lifted the gas and renewed the sewer

All that will tell them is where it is. It will not prevent them from drilling through it. I had one a couple of years ago where the telephone main trunk line was bored dead center through a sewer, and one a couple of months ago, when they trenched through one.

except gas lines? that is the only thing we have to put tracer wire on here.

you are much less likely to blow up digging through a sewer or water line

- - - - - - -

PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

Of course telling someone where the piping is, is the first step to prevent a needless mistake.

Will some wild backhoe operator still dig through a marked service, yes they will but they won't be in business very long.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

3 years before Google started PlumbingSupply.com has been THE best plumbing supplier on the web. Please visit our sponsor [www.PlumbingSupply.com]

true. around here you must get phone,gas,elect.and cable located before digging. the main purpose of this is to not interupt service to more than the building you are working on and to protect the operator and workers. cutting a sewer or water line to a house isnt normally dangerous and usually only interupts service to that one house/building and can be repaired fairly quickly and cheaply compared to other utilities.

dont get me wrong, i am all for it but just dont see a real need

- - - - - - -

PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"

Around here the locators only find the utility lines up to the meter or to the house. NO homeowner lines are located unless the homeowner/contractor hires a private company, and the lines are traceable. Usually the gas lines are the only ones with tracer wires by code.

At one time I did underground work and we used B.U.D. services to locate all lines. You all know how hard it is to dig and avoid the imaginary lines once you break the ground open. I got a call last night for a collapsed clay line to the sewer. I don't even hesitate to refer these to a guy I send all my outside digs to. Insurance is high, especially in the urban areas where you work and so much is affected by years of criss-crossing and other unapproved motions in the ground.

- - - - - -


Everything in Plumbing can be repaired or replaced.

around mass, we can't dig until we are cleared by "dig safe".

[www.digsafe.com]