§ 86-171. White lining.

(a)

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 utilities need to be marked or not marked.

(b)

Purpose. The purpose of white lining 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 utilities or utility 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 utility 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 perform the locate.

(c)

Examples; timing. 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. White lining shall be completed prior to contacting GA811 to obtain a locate request ticket number. Electronic/virtual white lining shall be clearly marked on submitted documentation within a 20-foot tolerance zone of the proposed excavation site.

(d)

Exceptions to white lining. Exceptions are allowed as follows:

(1)

For large projects as defined in O.C.G.A § 25-9-3(18), unless one or more utility facilities are damaged three times or more collectively by a contractor making the locate request within a 90-day contract period, white lining will not be required for any large project so designated in accordance with GSPC Rule 515-9-4-13 (a copy of GPSC Rule 515-9-4-13 currently in effect is attached as Exhibit "A" and by reference is incorporated herein). Every contractor begins each large project with zero damages. It is only when three damages (at-fault damages) occur during the 90-day period of the specific large project that the white lining requirement will be triggered. A large project ticket holder whose past prohibits it from being exempt, as stated above, will be subject to no more than a two-day shutdown period and shall be required to white line the remainder of the project to meet the large project marking facility locating agreement schedule that the ticket holder and utility originally agreed upon;

(2)

Homeowners/occupants involved in excavation or land disturbance that is confined to a single address or parcel. Homeowners/occupants shall not submit locate requests for excavation or land disturbance that will be performed by a business, a contractor, or a utility. Businesses, contractors, and utilities are not exempt from white lining;

(3)

"Emergencies" and "extraordinary circumstances" as such terms are defined herein, are statutory exceptions to the requirement for obtaining a locate ticket prior to commencing mechanized excavation and, hence, also exceptions to the requirement for white lining under this section. 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 this section. Also, pre-excavation emergency locate ticket requests (that is, a request for a locate ticket on an expedited basis sooner than the prescribed time limit) will not be an exception to white lining as required in this section;

(4)

Residential telecommunication service drop lines that can be delineated by the route of the existing line on the ground for single residential address/parcel requests only; and

(5)

Termite baiting systems.

(e)

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 20 feet on either side of the white line and for 20 feet outward beyond the designated "START" and "END" of such linear white line. Therefore, it is important to identify the starting and ending points.

(f)

Identification of white lining excavator. In order to enable the locating utility or its locators to quickly identify the requested locate at the job site and expedite the locating process, such 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.

( Ord. No. 0-15-15, art. I , 8-6-15)