Power and water meter boxes in the front of your house

[FP]

Our front yard has a PG&E (gas/electric power) utility box and a water service utility box in the ground about 2" from the sidewalk in our front garden bed. The bed has been overrun with weeds the past few months and I suspect it is due to a leaking sprinkler line.

I need to dig up the sprinkler line as well as till the soil. I will be digging directly next to both of these boxes. My shovel will literally be touching the boxes as I dig. I will likely only be digging 1' down or less but I am concerned about where the actual utilities run into these boxes (if at all).

Do I need to worry about anything at that shallow of a depth?

(Yes I know about 811, I also know the utilities run where I am digging so I don't need them marked. I just want to know about depth). Thanks!

 

[minendo]

Do I need to worry about anything at that shallow of a depth?

I would not call 1 foot shallow and yes you should be worried.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Call the city/utility company to see if it is safe to do so, and make sure that the sprinklers is well within your property line.

 

[BoomerD]

Any PG&E gas line SHOULD be 24" deep at a minimum. The electrical SHOULD be much deeper than that, and comes up vertically into the box, NOT horizontally.

Utility companies will indeed come out and mark them for you, BUT, they're not always as accurate as you'd think, and they usually only tell you where the line runs, not usually how deep it is. (but they MAY have it marked on their utility map) You may be able to just call PG&E and get some info.
I spent one summer working for a PG$E "G.C." (general construction) crew. we laid a LOT of gas lines and electrical conduit that summer. When we'd call for a "USA," their crews would come out and locate the utilities for us, but the standing rule was the last 24 inches on either side of the line was dug by hand, not a backhoe, just in case the map was wrong, as it usually was.


BTW, if you have a PG&E "Christie" box, it's electrical, not gas unless for some VERY unusual reason, you have a shut-off valve for the entire neighborhood...your gas connection and such will be at the meter.

 

[The Stigenator]

call dig alert.. or USA..

you dont want to be hitting something.. trust me!

 

[Injury]

You should call your utility company regardless of what you THINK is right. They know the trends of your home better than anyone... ie: They might know that houses built in your area in a certain time period had lines buried quite shallow because regulations were different then... or that everything might have been changed over in another decade and was buried deeper than you will go with the digging.

If it were me, I'd err on the side of caution and call them to come mark the lines... I'd like to think that an in-ground sprinkler wouldn't be right on top of the utility lines, but who the hell knows what shortcuts someone might have taken.

 

[drnickriviera]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Any PG&E gas line SHOULD be 24" deep at a minimum. The electrical SHOULD be much deeper than that, and comes up vertically into the box, NOT horizontally.

Utility companies will indeed come out and mark them for you, BUT, they're not always as accurate as you'd think, and they usually only tell you where the line runs, not usually how deep it is. (but they MAY have it marked on their utility map) You may be able to just call PG&E and get some info.
I spent one summer working for a PG$E "G.C." (general construction) crew. we laid a LOT of gas lines and electrical conduit that summer. When we'd call for a "USA," their crews would come out and locate the utilities for us, but the standing rule was the last 24 inches on either side of the line was dug by hand, not a backhoe, just in case the map was wrong, as it usually was.


BTW, if you have a PG&E "Christie" box, it's electrical, not gas unless for some VERY unusual reason, you have a shut-off valve for the entire neighborhood...your gas connection and such will be at the meter.

Found that out the hard way. Natural gas line + PTO powered auger = Run for your lives!

 

[DrPizza]

Don't use a backhoe to dig there. Use those small garden hand shovel things (about handle + shovel time is about 12 inches total) I don't think you'd manage to go through a gas line or electrical line with that unless you were an idiot.

 

[misle]

As a former utility company employee, definitely have them come mark where stuff is located. If you don't and hit a line, it will cost you quite a lot to have it repaired.

I just removed my fence and the comm lines in my back yard were about 4" deep. Gas and Electric service lines should be a minimum of 12 to 24" deep depending on state laws.

 

[marvdmartian]

binister, definitely have them come out and at least mark the electric line(s) for you. The electricians I work with have a device that not only tells them where the line is (usually accurate within a few inches), but it will also tell them about how far down the line is too. That kind of knowledge would be invaluable to you, I'd think. Also, do any digging within 3 feet of their markings by hand, not using any sort of power digger. If you do come close to a line, you'll feel it a lot easier with a shovel, ya know?

The best commercial I saw to give you an idea of why to spend the extra effort to have them come out and mark the lines went like this:

Electricity moves at the speed of light........186 thousand miles per second

Your shovel handle is 5 feet long.......YOU do the math! :shocked:

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Any PG&E gas line SHOULD be 24" deep at a minimum...

Sould being the operative word.
When I built a retaining wall at my old place, I only went 20" deep for my support. I hit the natural gas line (plastic) at about 16" and severed it. PG&E wanted to bill me till I pointed out it was deep enough.
They admitted that sometimes when they backfill, the line comes up. They didn't bill me.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Any PG&E gas line SHOULD be 24" deep at a minimum...

Sould being the operative word.
When I built a retaining wall at my old place, I only went 20" deep for my support. I hit the natural gas line (plastic) at about 16" and severed it. PG&E wanted to bill me till I pointed out it was deep enough.
They admitted that sometimes when they backfill, the line comes up. They didn't bill me.

Backfilling will not bring a line up 1ft.

The trench for the line was not properly.

Whoever laid the pipe just "sratched" the surface enough for the ppe to be below ground level, dropped in the pipe and then counted on additional soil being added on top of the raw ground to fully cover the line properly.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Sprinkler leak when on, or off? When on, you should be able to see it bubbling up near the leak when the zone is on. When off, look down into the box with your water meter, is the needle moving? BTW, you now have a good idea of how deep the main water line is, don't you? In Ca. the water, and sewer lines are *supposed* to run in a straight line,(90 degrees), from where it is marked at the curb, to the point of entry. If the needle/indicator is moving, you have a leak. Do your sprinklers have a main shut off? If not, it should, and now would be a good time to install one. If so, is it a ball valve, or gate valve? (hint, gate valves have a handle like your hose bibb). If it's a ball valve, turn it off. Any movement on the meter? Are your sprinkler valves above or below ground? If above, are they the anti-siphon type, or do you have a main vacuum breaker? Do you know which valve is controlling the zone in question? If your valves are the anti- siphon type, unscrew the top of the anti- siphon part, usually hand tight, (NOT the valve body), if water is seeping, the valve needs to be cleaned, or rebuilt.
Soooo, pop quiz, what have we learned.
1; You now know how deep your main water line is.
2; Unless you are planting a giant redwood, or are plotting a new route to China, the sewer line is not a factor.
3; It is unnecessary to till, or turn soil more than 10" deep, 8 is enough. If you did not know that before, you do now.
4; You can now determine if your valve is defective, (re: seeping)
5; You can now determine if your sprinkler line is leaking after the valve, (re: bubbling).
6; You can now determine if there is a leak between your water main, and your sprinkler shut off valve, (re: needle/indicator movement).
7; You can now determine if you need to install a sprinkler shut off valve, (re: Appendix 1, article 2, paragraph 6,--- IT AIN'T THERE!).
8; That the cable/phone companies can install their lines wherever, however, whenever, and at any depth they want. If you did not know this, you do now. (re: It's good to be the king, but you knew that).
9; That gas, and power lines *should* be buried no less than 18" deep, and should you break one that is buried much less, THEY are responsible for all damages, up to, and including your funeral. I know this to be fact, for I once turn out the lights for an entire neighborhood, AND I'm posting from a really nice coffin.
10; That Runz cannot write, or spell properly, and tends to ramble on. (re: article 1, section 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1, "Runz doesn't give a damn!").
11; That Runz wishes to thank our veterans, both past, and present for their service, and sacrifice to this country. You shall never be forgotten. If you did not know that before, you do now!

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Any PG&E gas line SHOULD be 24" deep at a minimum...

Sould being the operative word.
When I built a retaining wall at my old place, I only went 20" deep for my support. I hit the natural gas line (plastic) at about 16" and severed it. PG&E wanted to bill me till I pointed out it was deep enough.
They admitted that sometimes when they backfill, the line comes up. They didn't bill me.

I put in a french drain next to my house several years back and never saw the PG&E gas line, (nope, didn't call!) and didn't hit it. (luckily) The following year, I installed some underground conduit in the same area. Ran a trencher right down the center of my side yard, about 2 feet from the french drain. While cleaning out the bottom of the trench, I uncovered the 2" (or 3"?) yellow PG&E gas line that feeds my meter. It was about 18" under ground level. It's a fucking miracle I didn't hit the dammed thing. The trencher couldn't have missed the pipe by more than a couple of inches. It was a quick reminder of why you ALWAYS call before you dig.

 

[olds]

They have a new (this or last year) phone number to call before digging. IIRC, it's 811

 

[Modelworks]

Use a garden trowel and hand power to dig around the edges of the box to fine out whats connected and where.

 

[FP]

Thanks guys. I'll leave the project for another day and call 811 tomorrow.

I will probably only be hand digging 6-12" to find the sprinkler line and hand tilling 4-6" but like many of you have said it can be costly if there is a problem.

I guess that means I can sit around today and drink :beer: