- What are those colored lines I see painted on the sidewalk or on the roadway?
- What can I do to prevent my pipes from freezing in the winter?
What are those colored lines I see painted on the sidewalk or on the roadway?
Those markings note the location of buried utility lines. When someone plans to dig or excavate an area, they are required by law to contact Pennsylvania One Call (by dialing 8-1-1 or 1-800-242-1776) first so that utilities can mark the location of their lines before they start to dig.
Each color represents a different utility as follows:
Red = electric power lines, cables conduit and lighting cables
Yellow = gas, oil, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials
Orange = communication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit
Blue = potable water
Purple = reclaimed water, irrigation or slurry lines
Green = sewers and drain lines
It is important that these marks remain visible and unaltered until all excavation in the area has been completed. Removing, moving or otherwise tampering with marks for underground utility lines can cause interruption of service to you and your neighbors and may result in costly repairs that could increase your monthly utility bills. It can also result in injury or even death to those in the immediate vicinity.
Tampering with these underground facility marks, even those on private property, is a violation of the Pennsylvania Utility Line Protection Act 287, as amended. Conviction can result in a fine of up to $50,000, or imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, not to speak of any civil liabilities in the matter. If you witness or suspect that someone has tampered with underground facility marks, please immediately notify Pennsylvania One Call by dialing 8-1-1 or 1-800-242-1776.
What can I do to prevent my pipes from freezing in the winter?
Simple steps can be followed to help prevent frozen pipes and ensure that further damage does not occur. Frozen water in pipes can cause water pressure buildup between the ice blockage and the closed faucet at the end of a pipe, which leads to pipes bursting at their weakest point.
To keep water in pipes from freezing:
- Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer.
- Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulking.
- Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space.
- Remove all hoses from outside faucets and shut them off from the inside. Leave the fixtures open to drain.
- Secure and drain all underground lawn sprinkler systems.
- It is very important to maintain minimum temperatures in unoccupied homes to prevent freezing of the interior plumbing fixtures.
- Protect water pipes that pass through utility rooms, garage areas, basements and crawl spaces, that receive minimum heat and are exposed to drafts.
- Meters that are set in utility rooms or other unheated areas will freeze-up and burst. The customer is responsible for the replacement cost of these damaged meters.
- As a precaution, we recommend you check all of the above mentioned areas to reduce the risk of frozen pipes and frozen meters.
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