Operator markings of facilities include the following:
- The appropriate color for the facility type
- Their company identifier (name, initials, or abbreviation) when other companies are using the same color.
- The total number of facilities and the width of each facility.
- A description of the facility
Use paint, flags, stakes, whiskers, or a combination to identify the operator's facility(s) at or near the excavation site.
Marks in the appropriate color are approximately 12 to 18 inch long and 1 inch wide, space approximately 4 to 50 feet apart. When marking facilities, the operator considers the type of facility being located, the terrain of the land, the type of excavation being done, and the method required to adequately mark the facility for the excavator.
The following marking examples illustrate how an operator may choose to mark their subsurface installations:
Single Marking Facility
Two Phase Primary
Three Phase Primary
Fiber
High Pressure Gas Main
Gas Main with Service T
Changes in direction and lateral connections are clearly indicated at the point where the change in direction or connection occurs, with an arrow indicating the path of the facility.
Conduit
Used for any locatable facility being carried inside conduits or ducts. The marks indicating the outer extremities denote the actual located edges of the facilities being represented.
No Conflict
When there is "No Conflict" with the excavation, operators of a single type of facility mark the area "NO" followed by the appropriate company identifier in the matching APWA color code for the facility.
