Cross bores is a term you’ve heard a lot about and will continue to hear about within the trenchless industry. The industry has made great strides to educate underground contractors about cross bores and has developed best practices to help eliminate them.
But, there is still more to do.
We had the opportunity to visit with Steve Dockendorf who is a regional manager for NPL Construction Company. Steve’s area of responsibility is in Minnesota and the surrounding states. NPL constructs gas lines for some of the largest natural gas utilities in the U S, and has operating divisions in 20 states. Steve also serves as co-chair of the Distribution Contractors Association Government Relations Committee.
Q. What is the biggest challenge the industry is facing when it comes to cross bores?
A. The biggest issue right now relates to who physically marks where the existing underground facilities are located. These facilities are typically owned by cities and municipalities, and in many areas of the country, the owners of the facility are not required to locate them. There is little consistency across the country on who’s responsible for locating sewer laterals, and verifying that it has actually been done. The industry is working with states to adopt consistent policies to have the owners of the sewer laterals locate them.
Q. How is the industry working together to address this challenge?
A. The industry has focused significant attention on the cross bores issue. One major initiative is to require the owners of the facilities to conduct their own locating. The people with the most knowledge about where facilities are located are the owners of those facilities. This requires working with each state to change the laws regarding locates.
Groups such as the Distribution Contractors Association and The Common Ground Alliance are taking the lead in speaking about the cross bore issues at conferences and events across the country. The goal is to raise awareness regarding the cross bore issue and let the industry know about the lack of consistency in locate rules and guidelines by state.
Q. What are some of the major accomplishments to date?
A. State laws have been changed to require municipalities to mark their facilities. Minnesota is one of those states. Another big change is that most states now require that all new facilities be locatable. In other words, tracer wires need to be installed with any new facility installations so they can be located.
The Distribution Contractors Association is lobbying the Federal government to withhold funding for damage prevention programs as a method to encourage municipalities to locate their facilities.
Q. How is the industry working to enhance awareness of cross bore issues among underground contractors?
A. Really it’s about opening the lines of communication and making sure every underground contractor and their crews are aware of the issue. We’ve come a long way in just the past few years and it’s rewarding to see states taking a progressive approach.
Most utility companies are aware of the cross bores issue and through their public safety programs, they are making the general public aware.
The industry is also working with the plumbing and rental industries to ensure plumbers, and those who rent plumbing cleaning equipment, are aware of cross bores. Programs such as “Call Before You Clean” are designed to make sure plumbers are aware that if they identify a blockage, they should first contact the utility company to determine if the blockage may be a gas line or another utility, before cleaning the line. Generally, the utility company will dig up the area free of charge to prevent a utility strike.
Q. What can individual companies do to enhance their employee awareness and understanding of cross bores?
As a contractor, whether a facility is located or not, we will do our best to avoid a conflict. At NPL, we have policies in place regarding the steps to take to avoid a conflict. This may include running a camera through the line post construction. In addition, we conduct training on company policies and procedures regarding cross bores.
This article contains third-party observations, advice or experiences that do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Vermeer Corporation, its affiliates or its dealers.