Does Click Before You Dig cover NB Power lines?

Click Before You Dig is the portal for Info-Excavation, New Brunswick's one-call locate service. NB Power runs its own separate underground locate service and is not part of Info-Excavation. You need to contact NB Power directly, and that request must go in at least five business days before you dig.

The two services cover different things, and neither covers everything. NB Power's locate checks only for NB Power-owned underground power lines. NB Power itself notes that its lines can be buried as little as one foot underground, and that the property owner is responsible for having the site checked for all other cables, pipes and fuel lines, including any wires run to a pool, garage or shed. Info-Excavation's notice period is three working days, and the locate is valid until the end date of the work written on the request. NB Power's locate is valid for 60 days from the date on the locate form.

Private lines, drains and tanks that the owner or a past owner installed are yours to find and mark before any machine touches the ground. If you are unsure whether a municipal water or sewer line runs through the property, ask your municipality directly, as we found no confirmation that Info-Excavation covers those.

One more point worth knowing: if you are digging near a pipeline, the NB Energy and Utilities Board's guidelines treat anyone using mechanical equipment as an excavator. The Pipeline Act requires reasonable precautions to find out whether a pipeline is in the area and notice to its operator, and the Board's guidelines ask for locate requests at least 72 hours (three full working days) ahead. They also say mechanical equipment must not be used closer than 0.3 metre (1 foot) to a pipeline.

The short version: book both requests, mark your own private lines, and ask your municipality about water and sewer. If a gas line, pipeline or power line is struck during any dig, stop work immediately, get everyone away from the area, and call emergency services from a safe distance.

Before you sign anything with an excavation contractor, ask them directly how they handle the locate process and who is responsible for marking private lines on your property.