How many days notice does NB Power need for a locate?

NB Power asks for at least five business days' notice before you dig. That request is separate from Info-Excavation's Click Before You Dig service, which needs three working days' notice.

The two locates cover different things. NB Power's locate checks only for NB Power-owned underground power lines, and NB Power notes those lines can be buried as little as one foot underground. The locate is valid for 60 days from the date on the NB Power locate form. Any other cables, pipes or fuel lines on the property, including wires run to a garage, pool or shed by the owner or a past owner, are yours to find and mark before the machine arrives.

A few things worth keeping straight before any dig: book the NB Power locate and the Info-Excavation locate as two separate requests, because one does not cover the other. Info-Excavation's locate is valid until the end date of the work written on your request, not for a fixed number of days. If there is any chance a pipeline runs through the area, the NB Energy and Utilities Board's guidelines ask for a locate request at least 72 hours, three full working days, ahead, and say mechanical equipment must not be used closer than 0.3 metre to a pipeline. Ask the contractor to show you both locate tickets before the machine starts.

If a gas line, power line or pipeline is ever struck during the work, stop immediately, get everyone away from the area, and call emergency services from a safe distance.

The request form on this page sends your project details to local excavation contractors listed in the New Brunswick Construction Network directory.