Responsibilities of the Facility Owner/Utility Members
The facility owner/operator is required by law to respond to each notification. The two working day response time by utilities will begin at 12 midnight following the receipt of the notification (see Timeline).
Upon receipt of the excavator’s locate request, the utilities are required by law to either:
Mark the approximate location of their underground lines.
If it is determined that markings are required, the locate request will be dispatched to a field locator who will locate and mark the excavation site with paint, stakes or flags. Utilities mark their facilities according to specific guidelines and Color Codes.
Request additional information if necessary.
If the area of excavation cannot be determined from the description provided by the excavator prior to marking, the owner/operator may require the excavator to:
- Mark (white line) the proposed area of excavation,
- Provide project plans,
- Or meet at the excavation site, prior to marking by the owner/operator.
Either party may request an on-site meeting to clarify markings, which must occur within two working days of the request for this meeting.
Advise you if they are “Clear” or “OK”.
In some cases, the member may be able to determine from the information on the locate request that it has no underground facilities which could be affected by your excavation. In these cases, the members are required to notify you that they are “clear” at the dig site or that they are “OK”.
Methods of advising the excavator that they have no facilities at the dig site include:
- Calling the telephone number of the excavator or supervisor managing the excavation.
- Leaving a message on a recording device.
- Calling the cell phone of the excavator or supervisor of the excavation.
- Notifying the excavator by facsimile or by e-mail.
- Marking “Clear” or “OK” at the site.
- By verbally informing the excavator in person.
- By use of a locate status system.
Following their response to the locate request, the utilities are also required to:
Status their response to the excavators locate request using the Status Check/Locator Ticket Management System (LTM).
Initiate any request for extended start date and time through the Missouri 811 call center.
If the utility fails to respond to the locate request, the following will occur.
No Response Tickets
The excavator is required to place a No Response ticket if any of the utilities listed on the “members notified” section of the ticket hasn’t responded prior to the start date and time on the ticket. A new ticket number is assigned to this type of No Response ticket.
Sewer and Water Utilities
The Missouri law addresses additional responsibilities of sewer and water utilities in section 319.031.