Over the last month I’ve been doing some outside work, typical garden and farm work that meant I had to consider buried utility lines and pipelines.
First, we’ve have a faucet run to a flower bed so that it could be watered. The trench was dug and the water line was laid.
Second, my boys and I have been building fence out in the pasture. We are expanding the pasture and rebuilding an old fence.
By law, both of these activities is considered “excavating”. And to be correct, one must not only look for buried lines, but must call 811 to get them located.
There are over 2.6 million miles of pipeline in the US that transport your community’s water, natural gas, and hazardous liquids or contain telephone and communication lines. Pipelines are the
energy lifelines for almost every activity in everyday life.
We all rely on pipelines. America’s pipeline network stretches from coast to coast. These pipelines are in our communities, along our roadways, and under our fields and woodlands.
Farming, ranching, and logging activities increasingly pose a safety risk to pipelines. Our equipment is getting more powerful and can dig deeper. At the same time, erosion and terrain modifications can reduce the soil covering an underground pipeline.
Texas (and every other state) has passed “One Call” laws to keep pipelines safe. These laws require contractors, farmers, homeowners, and anyone digging to call 811 at least 2-3 days before starting their project. 811 is a free, national 3-digit number you can call from anywhere to have lines located.
But “I’m just doing regular farm work”, you say. Key to understanding when you should call ahead is understanding when you are farming and when you are excavating.
Typically you can give yourself one foot. Anything you do to disturb soil deeper than 12 inches could adversely affect a buried line, and worse, could adversely affect your or your neighbors.
“Normal” farming activities are limited to discing, plowing, planting, cultivating, tilling, and harvesting (as long as these activities occur at depths no greater than 12 inches). Terrain modifications at any depth should be preceded by a call to 811. Pipeline operators will come out and verify the depth of the pipeline both before and after the work to ensure your safety.
After you call 811, representatives will be out in a couple of days. They use yellow paint and flags to show the exact location of pipelines. Once lines are marked, use care when working near the line. Do not use mechanical equipment within approximately 24 inches on each side of the pipeline. If your digging project is on or near the pipeline company right-of- way or easement, a company representative will likely be onsite during your project. Do not remove flags, stakes or paint marks until you have finished digging. If you expose a pipeline, a company representative will request to inspect the pipe before you backfill.
So what is “excavating” and should prompt me to call ahead? Lots of typical work landowners conduct could hit a buried line. Activities include stump removal, fence building, terracing, grading, contouring, deep tillage, trenching, or ditch cleaning.
Any fence builder around here worth his salt knows to bury corner posts about three feet deep.
While that seems an obvious need to call, even a properly driven t-post could disrupt a buried line.
Are you cleaning up your place and removing stumps? It will be Murphy’s Law that any tree stump above a buried line will have its roots wrapped around it. While grinding the stump to the soil level shouldn’t pose a risk, using your 80 horsepower tractor to pull it out certainly would.
If there is EVER a question, call 811 to be safe. The call is free, and the pipeline company will be glad you did.
I know that there is a telephone line across the front of our pasture. I don’t know how deep it is and I have no clue exactly where it is.
811 is my solution to freely work on our family farm in northern Angelina County without causing an incident.
