SUE Support: Subsurface Utility Locate Services
When cities, counties, municipalities, and state agencies take on underground infrastructure projects, careful attention to subsurface utilities is critical. Striking a water main, gas line, or power conduit can quickly escalate into service outages, costly delays, and public safety risks. Preventing these disruptions starts with recognizing the importance of utility awareness before any excavation or repair begins. Before every project, Subsurface Utility Locating should be executed in support of Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE). Consider contacting Utility Services Group for SUE Support before your next project and continue reading to learn how it works.
How Private Utility Locating Supports SUE
Performing a utility locate is a systematic process that combines planning, technology, and verification to reduce risk. USG provides SUE Support by assisting engineers, municipalities, and owners with the tools and expertise needed to locate privately owned utilities that might otherwise be missed. There are several levels of utility data collection: A, B, C, and D, with D being the most basic and A being the most in depth.
Level D is based on the most limited information, typically drawn from utility owner records or verbal recollections. No physical evidence or surface features are reviewed at this stage, making it the least reliable level of utility data. It is often used as an initial step in project planning when no other information is available.
Level C builds on the preliminary record review by compiling utility information into a working document or map. At this stage, utility records are pulled, organized, and correlated with visible surface features such as manholes, valve boxes, or meters. This process creates a paper or digital representation of likely utility locations, offering more clarity than Level D but still requiring field verification to confirm accuracy.
Level B advances the process by combining surface geophysical methods with the utility maps created at Level C. Technicians use tools such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and radio frequency detection (where a signal is applied to a line and traced) to designate utilities in the field. By overlaying these geophysical findings with the compiled records and visible surface features, crews can develop a far more accurate picture of horizontal utility locations. This significantly reduces uncertainty during design and construction, while still recognizing that exact depth and position require physical verification.
Level A provides the highest level of accuracy by physically exposing utilities through test holes, often referred to as potholing. Using hydro-excavation trucks or similar vacuum excavation methods, crews safely uncover the utility without damaging it. This process confirms the exact horizontal and vertical position of the line, including its depth, size, and material. Because it delivers the most precise information available, Level A data is critical for projects where accuracy is essential to design, safety, and construction.
USG: The Intersection of People, Safety, Service, and Technology
Utility Services Group brings decades of experience to every project, with a team of highly trained professionals who understand both the technical and human aspects of infrastructure repair. USG supports engineers, municipalities, and owners by locating privately owned utilities with advanced methods such as geophysics and hydro-excavation. By providing SUE Support, USG helps fill the gap where others may not have the specialized tools or expertise needed to complete the locating process.
If your next project requires dependable utility locating or SUE Support, reach out to USG to see how our team can help you build with confidence. After all, USG represents more than a service provider; we are the intersection of people, safety, service, and technology.