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Georgia 811
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Heavy Equipment Users

Digging Near Buried Utilities

In the state of Georgia, the Tolerance Zone is defined as 18 inches of either side of the outer edge of a buried utility line. When digging in the Tolerance Zone, excavators must exercise reasonable care.

Reasonable care in the tolerance zone shall include, but may not be limited to, at least one of the following based on geographical and climate conditions:
  • hand digging,
  • pot holing,
  • soft digging,
  • vacuum excavation methods,
  • pneumatic hand tools, or
  • other technical methods that may be developed.
ToleranceZone

Potholing is Recommended

To determine the Tolerance Zone, potholing is recommended. Potholing is the use of hand tools or vacuum excavation methods to expose buried utility lines.
  • Excavators are encouraged to pothole near buried utility lines.
  • When potholing, use rounded hand tools such as shovels and digging bars.
  • Avoid sharp tools that could damage or break an underground utility line.

Report all damages: Any damage to an underground utility line requires a call to 811, the damaged facility, and to 911 if it is a hazardous material. Any impact that may lead the weakening of the line over time should be considered a damage. This includes damages to protective coating, lateral support, cathodic protection, and housing of the utility line.

Want to Request Training? Georgia 811 provides free utility damage prevention training on a variety of topics and offers sessions virtually and in-person. Click here for more information.