Call Before You Dig at Stanford - Underground Service Alert (USA)
For worker safety & the protection of Stanford's utilities
Tent staking and digging on the Stanford University campus require utility locating. Please call 9-811 two to fourteen (or more) days ahead.
Have Your Utilities Marked
ALL digging on the Stanford University campus (utilities excavations, tent staking, construction, etc.) requires a call to Underground Service Alert:
- Underground Service Alert (USA) MUST be called at least two days prior to digging on the Stanford campus.
- Every person planning to dig (or penetrate the ground) should call USA.
A Legal Obligation
Maps and Records, in its service to Stanford University complies with the following laws:
Mutual Agreement
If excavators indicate that Power Equipment will be used within two feet of an existing Utility, Senate Bill 2416 requires that excavators obtain mutual agreement with Utility Operators. Maps and Records coordinates this process with Utilities Division operators.
High Priority Facilities
If excavators indicate their excavation site within 10 feet of a high priority facility, Senate Bill 2416 requires that a field meeting occur. Maps and Records coordinates this process with Utilities Division operators.
See also:
Making a request to USA North (811/9-811), our area service provider
Before You Call: Outline Your Digging Site
Prior to your call to USA, outline your digging location with white chalk paint or another manner sufficient to enable underground facility members to determine the area of digging to be field marked.
When to Call
Two (2) working days before your planned digging. USA suggest placing calls on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday afternoons (for the following week's requests) to avoid communication delays.
How to Place a Call
- National One-Call #: 811 (9-8-1-1 from on-campus telephones)
- Alternative #: 1-800-227-2600
Questions You Will Be Asked
Please have the following information on hand when you call USA:
- Contact Info
- Phone Number and extension
- Are you digging in CA, NV, or HI?
- Begin Date (2 days prior notice) and Begin Time
- Your Name
- Your Company's Name
- Your Company's Mailing Address
- City, State, Zip
- Fax Number
- Who the work is being done for:
- Have you outlined your area with white paint as required?
- Work Permit Number (City, County or State) (YES OR NO)
- Foreman of Job:
- Nature of Work: (Blasting, Boring, Drilling, Grading, Trenching, Tunneling, Etc)
- Location of Digging: (Use street address, or contact 5-8472 for assistance)
- County
- Place
- Address or Description
- Mapbook Page (Thomas Brothers, if known)
- Grid
USA Ticket Number
At the end of your call, you will be given a ticket number referencing your digging number. Hold on to this number in case you need to call USA back.
Your USA number will only be valid for 14 calendar days from the day you called it in. If your digging is continuing past the active 14 calendar day period, call USA back two days prior to the expiration of your ticket.
After the Call
After placing your call, Maps and Records will respond within 2 working days or otherwise make contact with you in case we need additional time. Additional time of 2 days is needed when projects require Mutual Agreement (projects within 2 feet of an existing utility) or, if we are marking High priority facilities (projects within 10 feet of an existing high priority facility).
If you need to reach us, please contact:
Jay Marianowits, (650) 725-0746
Backup staff and a contractor are also in place.
USA Response to Your Ticket
In response to your ticket, the USA members will either:
- Mark or stake the path of their underground facilities
- Provide you with information about their underground facilities
- Advise you that they do not have any underground facilities in conflict with your digging work
After the USA members have field marked their facilities, you are required to notify USA anytime those markings are no longer reasonably visible.
Before Using Power Equipment
Before you use power equipment, expose the underground facilities in conflict by hand. See MARKING GUIDELINES for hand digging requirements.
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