Underground Utility Locating Services for South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Northern Florida, & Southern Virginia
For nearly two decades, West Locating Service, Inc. has been providing underground utility locating using electromagnetic locating, ground-penetrating radar, and pot-holing. We use various advanced techniques to find metal valves, storm and sewer covers, ground stakes, and other metal objects.
Our Service Locations
South Carolina
North Carolina
Georgia
Northern Florida
Southern Virginia
Our Speciality
Our seasoned technicians can find non-metallic piping and objects using ground-penetrating radar.
We are highly experienced in running tracer wire through non-traceable piping, such as sewer laterals and mains, as well as tracing electromagnetically to determine blockage and breaks.
Click here to view photos of some of our recent projects.
If you have any questions about Locating Services, please contact us!
If you have any questions about any of our locating services, please contact us!
Memberships
The Work We Do
What Is Utility Location
Utility location is the process of identifying and labeling public utility mains that are underground. These mains may include lines for telecommunication, electricity distribution, natural gas, cable television, fiber optics, traffic lights, street lights, storm drains, water mains, and wastewater pipes. In some locations, major oil and gas pipelines, national defense communication lines, mass transit, rail, and road tunnels also compete for space underground.
Public utility systems are often run underground; some by the very nature of their function, others for convenience or aesthetics. Before digging, local governments often require that the underground systems’ locations be denoted and approved, if it is to be in the public right-of-way.
Detection & Location Methods
For different types of underground lines, different detection and location methods must be used. For metal pipes and cables, we often use electromagnetic equipment consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. For plastic or concrete pipes, other types of radiolocation or modern ground-penetrating radar is used. Location by technical means is necessary because maps often lack the pinpoint precision needed to ensure proper clearance. In older cities, it is especially a problem since maps may be very inaccurate or may be missing entirely.
A few utilities are permanently marked with short posts or bollards, mainly for lines carrying petroleum products. This is done because of venting requirements, and they also serve to indicate the location of underground facilities that are especially hazardous if disturbed.
