Dig Safe in Massachusetts now very strict

[chester215]

We install Real Estate signs in Mass, CT and RI.
10 drivers in CT and 3 in MA full time.
One of the drivers recently hit a cable tv line in MA cutting the line to one house.
Not an unusual event for us, we generally hit a utility line if some sort once or twice a year. Sprinkler lines and dog fence lines are more common.
The bill for the repair was around $500 and we paid it out of pocket after discussing it with our insurance agent.
Yesterday we got a bill from DPU Damage Prevention for $1000 for a violation of the dig safe laws, not calling in the address with the location of the proposed work to be done and then give them 3 days to complete the marking of the property. This is something new within the past year that ALL ground breaking work has to be called in and then the utilities are marked within 3 days. Even if it is the homeowner is planting bulbs or putting in a fence, dig safe needs to be called. If this is ignored and there are multiple infractions within a 12 month period, the fines can escalate from $1000 to $5000 to $10,000 and can be as high as $200,000 for repeat offenders.
So, now for all work we do in MA we are going to be submitting a ticket for each one individually and wait 3 days for the marking to be completed.
And if the area for the sign is not clearly marked they will call us for more info on the placement of the sign.
In CT if you are hand digging then you do not have to call, only if you are using power tools.
All for just planting real estate signs in the ground.
If you are doing work in MA, beware.

 

[DL Signs]

They aren't burying lines deep anymore. In our area lines, especially fiber, is all being done with line boring machines, depths can vary based on the soil makeup, the main lines can run right through yards and you never even know where or how deep. Lines from the main feed to homes and businesses are buried too, sometimes very shallow.

Things are a changing. I wouldn't recommend putting a yard sale sign in front of your house anymore without knowing where lines are buried.

We just had an outage a couple weeks ago by a neighbor who hired someone to trim some hedges behind their house, he cut a fiber line with a shovel. When they replaced ours, I'll bet it's maybe a foot deep.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I thought that was the rule all over the place? That's the rule here... I submit a dig ticket every time. Fiber lines can get very expensive.

 

[Boudica]

Even homeowners have to "call before you dig" even in your own yard.

 

[StarSign]

My yard was just torn apart for fiber and I bet in most spots it's not more than 18", 24" at the most.

 

[netsol]

a good friend in NJ hit a gas line about 5 years ago.
state police responded & threatened to arrest him.
HE HAD ALL HIS PAPERWORK & as it turns out they marked all his clients utilities and mis-marked the next door neighbor's gas line, so they were off by 125 ft on the gas line

he got an apology when the dust settled on this

 

[DL Signs]

I thought that was the rule all over the place? That's the rule here... I submit a dig ticket every time. Fiber lines can get very expensive.

It is a rule, we always do it, and it's a good habit to get into, but for some, rules are just made to be broken, or only apply to others because they're just a realtor shoving a yard sign in the dirt, or the landscaper sticking his shovel in the dirt instead of laying it down and cutting a fiber line like what happened to us. Not so many years ago there wasn't much to damage that close to the surface... But it ain't like that any more. When I had fiber put in at the last place I had, they went through a little flower bed alongside the house, wife was out there weeding one day and said she had t be careful because it wasn't more than 6" under the surface.

 

[Stacey K]

An excavator installing a driveway hit my gas line at my rental property on a Tuesday, didn't say anything or didn't know. By Friday it was negative 50 degrees outside and there was no heat. They needed some hot water thing to cut thru the frost to fix the line at 9pm on a Friday. Had to call the heating guy at 2am to light the furnace...what a mess. When I moved to my new house I got a fence put up and took pictures of all the flags so I would know for planting flowers and burying bodies if needed. LOL

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

My yard was just torn apart for fiber and I bet in most spots it's not more than 18", 24" at the most.

I've hit lines barely 12" under ground. Seems crazy they only dig that deep

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

It is a rule, we always do it, and it's a good habit to get into, but for some, rules are just made to be broken, or only apply to others because they're just a realtor shoving a yard sign in the dirt, or the landscaper sticking his shovel in the dirt instead of laying it down and cutting a fiber line like what happened to us. Not so many years ago there wasn't much to damage that close to the surface... But it ain't like that any more. When I had fiber put in at the last place I had, they went through a little flower bed alongside the house, wife was out there weeding one day and said she had t be careful because it wasn't more than 6" under the surface.

that sounds crazy. that's why you always submit dig tickets. I also check the surrounding and look for fiber markers, water meters, power running down a pole going underground...anything on the ground that will give you clues cause like you said, those guys aren't always right... they are one step up from a fast food worker

 

[unclebun]

I've hit lines barely 12" under ground. Seems crazy they only dig that deep

The cable TV company around here often neglects to come around to ever bury the line to a home. There are lines in our condo complex that have been running on top of the ground for over 25 years. They've even been updated and added to, but never buried. There was one that crossed the driveway that was just sitting on the concrete for years. When we had the driveway replaced, the concrete contractor put a conduit under the new driveway and put the cable through it.

I've also seen places where the person they hired to bury the line was just scratching the dirt with his heel and pushing dirt over the cable with his foot. So that cable was maybe 1/2" below the surface.

 

[netsol]

An excavator installing a driveway hit my gas line at my rental property on a Tuesday, didn't say anything or didn't know. By Friday it was negative 50 degrees outside and there was no heat. They needed some hot water thing to cut thru the frost to fix the line at 9pm on a Friday. Had to call the heating guy at 2am to light the furnace...what a mess. When I moved to my new house I got a fence put up and took pictures of all the flags so I would know for planting flowers and burying bodies if needed. LOL

inconvenienced but still very lucky

this was a minor gas leak, and then against orders, one of the cops or emt's keyed his mic