it’s the law
I’ve always wondered what the spray paint on the streets and sidewalks meant, I knew it was official, but I assumed you had to work in the industry to ever understand the code.
In an effort to understand the space I’m constructing in, I began trying to figure out what this damn green electrical box of a pillar was. When I started reading the text on it (learning it was an old piece of Qwest infrastructure, now absorbed by century link, useful enough to keep, useless enough to not fix when it’s been opened up and pulled apart (I found it like this)) I read the very serious warning to call 811 before I dig--that being said you’re really encouraged to just do it online call811.com, which I imagine is a funny example of technology and cultural shifts which end up changing existing structure... this 811 example is a bit more objective than the arguably more interesting linguistic examples in my head)
Anywho, you fill out this form explaing what kind of digging you’ll be doing and where, then all the utitility companies have to go (within 2 full buisness days... it takes longer but they communicate it) and mark the area to warn you where gas, electric, water, etc. lines are located. Even PGE (portland general electric) came out just to spray paint the street “NO PGE” since it comes from the electrical lines above... actually probably a really easy and common job considering the amount of portland with above ground electric supply. Here is the kicker, they tell you what the colors mean
| RED - electric power lines, cables or conduit, and lighting cables |
| YELLOW - gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials |
| ORANGE - communications, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduits and fiber |
| BLUE - potable water |
| GREEN - sewers, drainage facilities or other drain lines |
| WHITE - pre-marking of the outer limits of the proposed excavation or marking the centerline and width of proposed lineal installations of buried facilities |
| PINK - temporary survey markings |
| PURPLE - slurry, irrigation and reclaimed water the oregon link So now like me you can bike around the city and quiz yourself, everytime you see utility spray paint on the ground. |