5.3. ERMUSR 02-08-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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3. Horizontal Directional Boring Tectu~ology is used extensively to install "small utilities" (telephone, cable television; gas and electric). These small utilities range in depth from 6" for cable television to 42" for electric. Utility companies like Elk River Municipal Utilities do not ~~~ant cable deeper than the required depth due to maintenance issues. If horizontal directional boring is used to install these small utilities, there is no legitimate need to be deeper than 42" and if they are, they are probably not in construction compliance. 4. Current rules require the contractor to pot hole or hand dig utilities and verify location, or if the}~ suspect a utility is present; marked or miss-marked, stop and verify location by pot holing before proceeding. Iy~lany contractors do not want to take the time to do this. Recently developed automated high pressure water system and vacuums make pot holing easier; quicker and safer. Do not abandon the current rule of requiring contractors to expose existing utilities ti~hen the~~ cross these utilities. ~ y~lany utilities, including the Elk River 1v~~Iunicipal Utilities, are not alwa}'s sure where the physical limit of easement are in the field are without doing an expensive and time conswning surve}~. Including easement in the right-of-way definition is not reasonable. 6 Man}' municipals and utilities including the City of Elk River and Elk River Municipal Utilities are just beginning to utilize Global Positioning System ~hechnologies (GPS), to locate and document at surface or below surface items. The GPS system established a X and Y coordinate based off a county or latitude/longitude coordinate system. This information is then stored in a Geographic Information System (GIS). These technologies may ultimately be a better physical solution than tracer ~~-ire and current locating technology. Unfortunately this technology is in its infancy in many communities and non- existent in other communities. It is expensive to imitate and more expensive to maintain. This is not a fool proof system because it is information and computer based and not actual physical based like actual locating. Also marry communities, but not all, keep as built drawings of water and se~~er main and lateral installations. These dra~~ings can possibly be made available to the contractors. Unfortunately this is not fool proof because dimensions and transposing numbers, errors ~~~ill occur. 7. This rule appears to be in response to the horizontal directional boring industries desire to shift liability to local units of government. This is not making anybody safer, just shifting liability. We would also encourage a cost benefit analysis be completed to determine if the added cost (regardless of who pays), results in an acceptable benefit. This proposed rule will require, on an average, each city to add a person with equip~r~ent, vehicle and on going training.