Connecticut regulators detail ‘Call Before You Dig’ premarking rules and best practices

The State of Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority released a training presentation explaining how excavators should premark work areas and submit Call Before You Dig (CBYD) tickets to help utility locators identify facilities and reduce excavation risks. The presentation noted tickets can be submitted online at cbyd.com or by calling 811.

The authority’s presenter said premarking matters because “locators do not see the map provided on your call before you dig ticket and need to see the proposed area of excavation clearly defined with white paint, stakes, or flagging.” The video added that State of Connecticut Call Before You Dig regulations require the proposed area of excavation be premarked before calling in a ticket.

Using several examples, the presenter showed why clear premarks and descriptive notes on the ticket improve locator accuracy. In one hypothetical ticket described as “starting at the intersection of Oak and going east 200 feet,” there were no premarks, which the presenter said would leave locators uncertain “how large the area of excavation is and exactly how far into the intersection” the work would extend. By contrast, the presenter demonstrated a bracketed premark that included the company’s abbreviated name and clearly defined how far into the intersection and right-of-way the excavation would go, calling that approach “the best way to clearly premark your area of excavation.”

A real-world water-main example in the video shows an abbreviated company name, a clearly defined excavation area and utility locator marks for facilities that enter and run through the site. The presenter warned excavators: “You do not want to dig outside of your pre marked area of excavation. We’re not covered under your current call before you dig ticket for areas outside of your pre marked area, and you run the risk of damaging unmarked facilities that are outside the area of excavation.” The video advised submitting a new CBYD ticket for any area not covered by the original call.

The presentation also covered other acceptable premark strategies: premark each individual catch basin slated for removal; use offset marks for long runs of excavation (for example, a saw cut 100 feet up the road and 20 feet to the right should have corresponding offset premarks); and, for general site work across an entire property, premark property corners so locators can find the work area.

The presenter summarized the guidance by saying that “premarking and describing your work location is a key form of communication with utility company locators” and that proper premarks and ticket descriptions “lead to a more efficient markup process and reduce the chance of a late mark out or utility facility being marked incorrectly or not marked at all.” The video closed with a reminder to use cbyd.com or 811 to submit tickets and a thank-you to viewers for watching the training.