More News - Landscaping Colorado

posted March 19, 2008
Reminder: you must get locates for ALL landscape activities, even maintenance tasks MOU in place only for Comcast and Xcel

Colorado law stipulates that a utility locate is required anytime that ground is disturbed. While it is obvious that this law encompasses all construction and renovation activities, many landscape contractors are not aware that this also includes routine maintenance activities like aeration, edging, sprinkler repair, fertilizer injections and annual planting ...anything that moves even a thimbleful of soil. Under the current law, locates must be called for any landscape activity.

ALCC and the Colorado Counties, Inc. ran a bill this year in the legislature that would have exempted routine maintenance activities from the one-call statute, but the bill failed on March 4.

There are still two exceptions to this exclusively for ALCC/GreenCO members. There is a Memorandum of Understanding in place with Comcast (including any area formerly served by Adelphia) and Xcel Energy that automatically clears routine maintenance activities. But, note that this is only for two of the Tier 1 utilities. All other Tier 1 and Tier 2 facility owners still must be called for all landscape activities. Failure to call can result in heavy civil penalties, starting at $5,000 for the first offense and going to $75,000 for the third offense.

As you all prepare for spring startup activities this month, please be aware of this law. To request your locates via phone, call 811 or 800-922-1987. For online locate requests, visit here.

posted March 17, 2008
View the bills being discussed in GreenCO's legislative committee.

posted February 11, 2008

Identical cable/sprinkler pipe may be serious safety risk! On February 1, Xcel Energy notified ALCC that a certain type of drip sprinkler pipe looks identical to primary electrical cable that is used by Xcel. This poses serious safety risks, even death, to any contractor who cuts into the electric cable by mistake. The primary way to tell them apart is through the white lettering on the Xcel pipe. The drip pipe has NO marking on the red line, while the Xcel cable has lettering ON the red line. Additionally, the Xcel cable has three red lines while the drip pipe has two red lines. The Xcel cable is also much heavier and harder, but that will be very hard to discern when it’s lying on the ground.

“In most cases, our lines are buried deeper and should not be a concern; however when we install our facilities at 30 inches and the grade is cut during landscape or building construction, there are circumstances where the primary cable is shallow.” said Brad Vitale, Xcel’s Damage Prevention Manager.

Landscape contractors should never cut into a pipe with a red marking unless absolutely certain that it is drip irrigation pipe, and always exercise great care when encountering the pipes. Again, because the poly pipe described above is used primarily for drip irrigation, it will be typically installed near or above the surface.

Watch the Weekly Updates and ALCC News for future developments.

If there are any questions while in the field, please call Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999.

How to tell the difference: