NewUrbanStreets

State law in Texas requires someone digging in the public rights of way to call “One Call” who then notifies all utilities the area where digging may occur so the utility can mark the locations of their underground facilities. That is a good as it preserves the services expected by the utility’s customers and the utility does not have to make repairs thereby increasing the cost to the customers. It also protects the workers doing the excavation as, for example, hitting a high-voltage duct bank is not a healthy thing.

But the issue is in the application of the markings. There are published guidelines for the style and frequency of the markings as well as the color. The color indicates the business type of the utility, e.g. telecommunications, power transmission, natural  gas. The frequency of the marks can remove all doubt about the location as well as remove all value of the classy, upscale look paid for by the public.

I have long argued that the markings quickly become damage to the public’s property for the sake of an over-reaching attempt to transfer liability from the locating company to the contractor. The first photo here is clearly that situation when the duct bank marking is less that one foot from the manhole. Looking closely you will note the paint is on our brick pavers. The paint is blasted onto and into the very porous and absorbent paver from a few inches away and the pigment is quickly drawn down deep into the concrete or clay.

Hopefully the paint is water based so the pigment will disappear in a year or so. The guidelines referenced by state law recommend water based paint but it took a lot of complaining and the threat of a city ordinance to get the industry to use it. At least we hope every one is always using water based paint but every time I see a person painting the street and sidewalks I ask to see the can.

The improvement in the guideline’s requirements I have seen is when the markings must show where something is crossing under a brick paved street or paver crosswalk the markings become dots of the same color as the full size markings on either side. That is a great improvement as the location is clearly shown but the pigment in the dot–drawn deep into the paver or brick–is not the same long term eye sore as the full-size mark. The company who placing “locates” for MCI use the dot method in the paver areas and deserve our thanks for that responsible approach.

So, once it is there then it begins to wear away and in a year or two it will be hard to see. But, in some cases the contractor called too early, did not finished, or his staff keeps sending in the same whole project-area request and so the paint is reapplied, by state law, within 30 days to the same markings. More pigment is blasted into the paver and the markings come closer to being permanent, further defacing the public’s property.

Along with encouraging the use of water based paint we encourage the contractor to identify the area to be worked. What will happen is they will request one block either side of the planned excavation and when that is an intersection the paint appears on four blocks–one block in each direction. When the “locator” is new they could, and have, marked the perimeter streets around that one intersection.  A total of 12 blocks are then defaced for the sake of one small excavation.

How can you control this situation? I do not think it can be controlled but it can be influenced by regular communication with the Utility Locating Council who manage the one-call process and who share our concern for the defacement issue. They remind the locating companies to help. We found that the average person does not want to deface a great place, or invoke a new ordinance, and so to date the voluntary restraint mode has reduced the painting to something that does not create outrage.

There is a practice called “white lining” that could reduce the damage caused by widespread painting when only a small area will be excavated. But that is another post as this one is long enough even though I know you find the topic exciting, .

Please re-read the first paragraph as we must keep in mind the value of the markings. We must also stay vigilant and not let them go beyond what is needed to achieve that purpose.