Locates

Building a fence or a deck? Planting a tree?

If you plan to disturb the ground anywhere on your property, you are required to locate underground services including City water and sewer services.

It is vital to your safety to contact Utility Safety Partners (formerly Alberta One-Call) at 1.800.242.3447 and Dig Shaw at 1.866.DIG.SHAW (1.866.344.7429) to request utility locates before you disturb the ground for any reason.

Ground disturbance can cause damage to buried utilities. Contact with a buried line can have results ranging from temporary loss of service in the area to severe or even fatal injuries. The cost of damages caused to a buried utility is the excavating party's responsibility. Whether you are a property owner doing landscaping, planting a garden, building a fence, or performing any property improvements, or a builder carrying out work that involves digging, it's vital to know where buried lines are present. Some lines are closer to the surface than you might expect.

Call Utility Safety Partners (1.800.242.3447) and Dig Shaw (1-866.344.7429) to request utility locates at least three business days before you begin disturbing the ground. Request them up to 14 days in advance to help ensure you receive the locates before you start work.

City utility lines (water, sewer, storm, fibre) are registered with Utility Safety Partners. However, there may be other types of buried lines that Utility Safety Partners is not aware of on your property.

Electricity and natural gas providers, along with other utility providers are unable to mark:

• privately installed lines (e.g. power from your house to your garage, decorative landscaping, etc.)
• secondary lines (e.g. electrical lines past the meter)
• customer-owned utilities (e.g. water and sewer lines located past the shut-off valve at the property line)

Utility companies don't have information about the location of privately owned lines as mentioned in the examples above.

View Utility Safety Partners' list of Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Locate marks (paint, stakes or flags) identify where facilities are buried.