The Best Way to Tackle Utility Potholing

With so many underground cables, lines and other utilities, blindly digging up the ground can turn into a disaster. One misplaced shovel or backhoe could cut power for an entire neighborhood! Thanks to a technology called potholing, contractors don’t have to go in blind before providing trenching services in Roseville, CA. Continue reading to learn a bit more about potholing and the tools we use to tackle the job.

What is utility potholing?

Utility potholing is the process of boring small holes into the ground to find the exact location of utility lines without the need to dig up the ground. After potholing is complete, workers can identify every type of utility in a certain area and its depth.

Utility potholing is used before any new digging or line installation project is started, but it’s also useful for repairs and general inspections. For example, a contractor can use potholing technology to ensure a utility line is at the proper location and depth to stay out of harm’s way.

What is the best tool for utility potholing?

Far and away, the best tool for potholing is a vacuum excavator. Vacuum excavation works drilling test holes six to 12 inches into the ground along the planned digging route. As its name suggests, the machine then excavates the soil using a high-powered vacuum. This process allows contractors to see straight down into the ground and identify each utility line. Here are a few reasons why contractors prefer to use vacuum excavators before trenching services in Roseville, CA begin:

• Damage prevention: Old potholing methods included using hand tools to manually dig into the ground or heavy machinery to dig up large chunks of it. Both of these methods caused a lot of damage to the surrounding soil and ran the risk of striking the utility lines in the area. Vacuum excavation is only slightly invasive, and it ensures no damage will be done to existing utility lines.
• Cost effectiveness: Vacuum excavation is a fast process, which means it’s also a cost-effective method to perform potholing. Instead of paying workers to dig into the ground for hours, the crew can get the same results in a matter of minutes. It also avoids the risk of busting utility lines, which can cost a fortune to repair, not to mention create an extremely dangerous situation for workers and anyone else in the area.
• Safer work environment: Vacuum excavation is the best way to ensure a safe work environment for a construction crew. With vacuum excavation, there’s no worry about striking a utility line or getting injured with heavy machinery.

Why hire our team?

There’s no company better suited for your next potholing project than Es7 Comm-2U, Inc. We have more than 20 years of experience in the industry, providing all sorts of services from potholing to trenching and even horizontal directional drilling. We’re really your one-stop shop for all of your underground utility needs! Additionally, we provide free estimates for our customers, and our prices are some of the lowest in the business.

For your next pothole drilling project, be sure to call our professionals at Es7 Comm-2U, Inc. Whether you need trenching services in Roseville, CA, potholing or directional drilling, you’ll be in good hands with our team.

Categorised in: Potholing Utilities

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