Underground Scanning Isn’t Just for Treasure Hunting

When most people think about underground scanning, they think of people walking on the beach or in a field with a metal detector. They are typically searching for lost coins, jewelry, and other trinkets that might have some monetary value or historical significance. While metal detecting is a serious hobby for some, another type of underground scanning is serious business for others.

Underground Scanning for Buried Utilities

There are entire companies dedicated to underground scanning, including Enhanced Scanning, which serves San Diego and Riverside Counties in California. One of their specialty services is scanning for buried utilities. 

Prior to any sort of ground disturbance, such as digging, excavating, trenching, etc., a property owner would be wise to scan the area for buried utilities. To find public utilities located underground, such as electrical lines or water or sewer pipes, property owners can call 8-1-1, which is a free service. However, to find utilities that are not owned by the public utility companies (known as “private utilities”), property owners need to bring in an underground scanning company. 

Unfortunately, a simple metal detector is not enough to find buried utilities. Private utility locating companies typically employ ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology to locate things like septic tanks, propane lines, irrigation lines, and secondary electrical lines. 

Why It’s Important to Locate All Buried Utilities

Delaying your project to have an underground scanning come out to assess your property can certainly feel like an inconvenience, and paying for a service like this is something nobody wants to do, but the alternative could be far worse.

Hitting a buried utility when digging doesn’t always result in disaster—but it certainly can! If you hit something like an inexpensive PVC pipe, it could only cause minor damage and be a small inconvenience. On the other hand, hitting a gas line could cause an explosion, resulting in serious injury or death to anyone nearby, as well as expensive property damage.

It’s just not worth the risk to try and save a little time and money.

An underground scanning company can quickly tell you whether it is safe to dig where you want to dig, and if it isn’t, they can recommend places where it would be safe to dig without hitting any underground hazards. 

What If You Already Have a Map of Your Buried Utilities?

Some property owners have a piece of paper or a digital file that tells them where all utilities are buried. Unfortunately, these are not always accurate. New utility lines get added over time, or the map may not have been completely accurate in the first place. 

For safety and peace of mind, it is wise to confirm the location of any hazards prior to disturbing the ground. For underground scanning in Southern California, contact Enhanced Scanning to schedule service.