Section 4 of the Illinois Underground Utilities Facilities Damage Prevention Act requires all excavators to white-line the dig site when practical. JULIE and its member companies strongly urge white-lining prior to processing their locate request. (In winter months when snow is present, the use of black paint or flags is encouraged.)
What is White-Lining
White-lining is the process of going to the proposed excavation site and marking
the area where digging will occur with white paint and/or white flags prior to
contacting JULIE.
Benefits of White-Lining
There are many benefits of white-lining your project. While initially you
might feel it is an additional cost to utilize personnel for this purpose, you
can actually save time and money in the long run by white-lining.
Initial benefits include:
- Locating crews will know exactly where to mark, avoiding confusion and possible project delays.
- If more construction crews white-lined their projects, utility locators would spend less time locating at each site and could locate more sites per day.
- Excavation crews can also identify the work area at the site quicker.
- Fewer joint meets would be required.
- Excavation damage may be reduced due to more accurate utility markings.
The Best Way to White-Line
Listed below are some white-lining guidelines to help expedite your project.
- Always use only white paint and/or flags (black when snow is present).
- Always white-line your project prior to contacting JULIE.
- Paint with dashes, lines or arrows to indicate the proposed excavation area.
- Mark the center line.
- Indicate on your locate request to have the locators mark at least 10 feet past your white-lined area.
For additional information, or if you have any questions about the process, please contact a Damage Prevention Manager in your area.