Rule 515-9-4-.14 - Georgia Underground Marking Standards(1) White Lining. (a)Scope. This Rule shall have statewide application; provided, however, that any municipal or county governing authority in this State may adopt, by resolution or ordinance, more stringent requirements relating to white lining, but no local governing authority may adopt less stringent marking standards requirements.(b)Purpose. The purpose of white lining the area to be located is to allow everyone involved with the dig site to know the exact location of the proposed excavation. White lining the excavation site is an excellent way to assist the underground facilities or underground facility locators in marking lines in the work area right the first time and in less time. This technique eliminates speculation by the locator about where the excavation will take place and will often enable the underground facility or its agent to locate faster and more accurately. In short, pre-marking the area and the extent of the intended excavation can reduce delays and the time it takes to conduct the locate.(c)Background. White lining is a practice that has been widely used in the United States where the National Transportation Board concluded that pre-marking is a practice that helps prevent excavation damage. The procedure simply involves an excavator using white paint to indicate the route or area that is going to be excavated, such that the locator then knows exactly how much marking is required and where. White lining reduces confusion about what underground facilities need to be marked or not marked.(d)Directive to UPC. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §§ 25-9-4(a)(1), 25-9-6(a)(1) and (b), 25-9-7(a)(2), and 25-9-13(f) and pursuant to Commission Utility Rule 515-9-6-.01, the Utilities Protection Center, Inc. ("UPC" or "One-Call Center") is hereby directed to establish policies and procedures which identify when white lining is required. Examples of areas to be white lined are smaller (involving only a portion of a particular address) or linear excavations such as telecommunication drops and lines, service lines (such as for water, gas, electricity and sewer), utility pits, cuts and repairs, curb repairs, bore holes, directional boring pathways, pole and signage placements, etc. Such examples are merely explanatory of the type of excavation where white lining is appropriate and are not meant to be exclusive.(e)Exceptions to White Lining. Unless otherwise required by applicable municipal or county ordinance, white lining will not be required in the following situations: 1. Any large project so designated in accordance with GPSC Rule 515-9-4-.13;2. Any jobsite that can be described with such particularity as required by O.C.G.A. 25-9-6(b); and3. "Emergencies" and "extraordinary circumstances" as such terms are defined in O.C.G.A. § 25-9-3(10) and O.C.G.A. § 25-9-3(14), respectively, are [pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 25-9-12] statutory exceptions to O.C.G.A. § 25-9-6(a) requirement for obtaining a locate ticket prior to commencing mechanized excavation and, hence, also exceptions to the requirement for white lining under this Rule. However, if a particular emergency notification is later determined not to have been an emergency or an extraordinary circumstance, then the excavator's failure to procure a locate ticket before excavating will be treated as a violation of O.C.G.A. § 25-9-6 and of this Rule as per O.C.G.A. § 25-9-12. Also, pre-excavation emergency locate ticket requests (that is, a requests for a locate ticket on an expedited basis sooner than the prescribed statutory time limit) will not be an exception to white lining as required in this Rule.(f)White Lining Symbols as Directions to Locator. White lining proposed dig sites that will follow a single path or trench shall be marked using white lines and/or arrows and shall be located for twenty (20) feet on either side of the white line and for twenty (20) feet outward beyond the designate "START" and "END" of such linear white line. Therefore, it is important to identify the starting & ending points. Click here to view image
(g)Identification of White Lining Excavator. In order to enable the locating underground facility or its locators to quickly identify the requested locate at the job site and expedite the locating process, each excavator when white lining shall identify himself or itself by labeling the white line area with the excavator's name or the applicable locate ticket number or both.(2) Facility Marking by or for Utilities. (a)"No conflict" with the excavation should only be communicated by facility owners through the Positive Response Information System (PRIS). No marks or messages with paint or stakes should be left at the proposed excavation if there is no conflict.(b)Underground Facility Markings. Facility owners or their locate contractors shall indicate underground facilities by placing their UPC alpha code, along with the type material (if known) that the facility consists of, at the beginning and end of locates. Also, arrows should be placed at the ends of markings to indicate that the underground facility continues. In accomplishing the locate task, the line locator shall use industry-approved and generally accepted methods of locating. 1. To avoid confusion on long runs, the marks shall be frequent enough to identify the owner.3. The line locator (person marking the lines) shall extend marks outside the proposed work area by 25 feet if those facilities extend outside the proposed excavation area. Click here to view image
4. In environmental conditions such as but not limited to, rain, snow, wet or marshy areas and or temporary surface conditions, flags will be used in addition to paint markings. Flags and/or stakes cannot be used as a substitution to paint markings and offsets. It will be the facility owner's decision to use flags and or stakes in addition to paint markings. Click here to view image
6. Lines that have connections (e.g., T's or Y's) or changes in directions shall be clearly indicated. Marks indicating lines or connections shall clearly show the intersection and path of the line or connection. Marks that show changes in direction shall be placed closer together for more clarity and accuracy. Click here to view image
7. Manholes and valves shall be identified by using a circle and letters if they are not visible (dirt covering valve boxes or pavement covering manhole cover). Click here to view image
8. Facilities that cross but do not intersect shall be marked as described to indicate such installation manner. Click here to view image
9. Unlocatable sewer laterals, installed prior to 2006, shall be marked by placing a green triangle on the sewer main and, if the location of the tap for such unlocatable sewer lateral is known, by placing a green "T" or "Y" or other appropriate symbol at the tap pointing generally toward the address served by such unlocatable sewer lateral. Click here to view image
10. Single facilities, including direct buried facilities, should be marked by placing marks over the approximate center of the facility.11. One or multiple facilities housed in a single conduit should be marked with one single mark per conduit.12. If the facility to be marked has a diameter greater than 12", the size of the facility shall be indicated if known.13. Multiple direct buried electric facilities where the separation does not allow for a separate tone for each facility, but the number of the facilities is known should be marked by corridor marks not to exceed 24 inches. The marks shall indicate the number of facilities in the corridor. Click here to view image
14. Multiple facilities of the same type other than electric that are bundled and intertwined in the same trench shall be marked over the approximate center of the facilities. The marks shall indicate the number of facilities in the corridor. Click here to view image
15. When facilities share the same trench, they shall be heavily identified and separated enough so that they can be readily identified. This would apply to lines that share the same color code. For example, cable television & telephone lines: Click here to view image
16. Duct structures are multiple conduits stacked or side by side, installed at the same time, in a singular trench or bore path, that may or may not be encased with a protective structure. These facilities shall be marked by using a dot with parallel boundary on each side of the dot. Click here to view image
Duct structures marked in excess of 36 inches in total will require the underground facility notify the excavator and identify the size of the marked.
Any duct structure marked in excess of its actual size will be considered overmarked and will be considered a probable violation of the Marking Standards.
17. In areas where there is a strong likelihood that any or all marker types showing line location would be destroyed, offsets shall be placed on a permanent surface. However, offsets should be used only in conjunction with marks placed above a facility. Offset spacing should be every third or fourth mark. For example, the following mark would indicate the line is 16 feet from the end of the arrow. Click here to view image
18. In areas where cables are spliced, the facilities should be located individually as far as possible on both sides of the splice. When the signal is distorted due to the near proximity to the splice a circle with "SP" should indicate the area of distortion or "splice pit". Click here to view image
19. The tolerance zone as defined in O.C.G.A 25-9-3 (34) is measured from the edge of the facility and is not based on the location of the marks.20. Traffic Control and Traffic Management Devices will be marked orange for the communication facilities and red for the electric facilities. To clearly distinguish these devices from other communication and electric facilities, facility owners or their locate contractors shall indicate these facilities by placing their UPC alpha code, and a dash followed by "TC" for Traffic Control Devices and "TM" for Traffic Management Devices. When electric and communication are bundled and intertwined in the same conduit, it shall be marked over the approximate center of the facility using red paint with the UPC alpha code and a dash followed by "TC" for Traffic Control Devices and/or "TM" for Traffic Management Devices.
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 515-9-4-.14
O.C.G.A. § 46-2-30.
Original Rule entitled "Georgia Underground Marking Standards" adopted. F. Oct. 3, 2007; eff. Oct. 23, 2007.Amended: F. Dec. 22, 2023; eff. Jan. 11, 2024.Note: Correction of non-substantive and administrative typographical errors, subparagraph (1)(b), "White-lining the excavation..." corrected to "White lining the excavation...", as requested by the Agency; subparagraphs (2)(b)18. and 20., "splice pit" diagram moved from subparagraph (2)(b)20. to subparagraph (2)(b)18., as originally filed. Effective March 5, 2024.