Utility Potholing and Locating in Casper, Wyoming

The paint on the pavement says where a line is supposed to be. A pothole says where it is. Those two things are often a few feet apart, and sometimes much farther. A locate mark is a good starting point, but it is only a mark. Before a crew cuts a trench across it or a drill rig passes under it, someone should look at the pipe with their own eyes.

Potholing is the small hole that gets that look. A vacuum truck, with water or air, loosens the soil and sucks it into a tank, exposing the utility without scraping or striking it. The crew measures the depth, the size, the material and the direction, records the position with survey coordinates and backfills the hole. The cost of a pothole is a small fraction of the cost of a struck gas line, a cut fiber bundle or a broken water main.

We pothole as the first step of any underground job, and we also take on locating and potholing as a standalone service for engineers and owners who need a firm picture of what is in the ground.

Why you never trust the mark alone

Locate marks come from records and electronic tracing. Records are incomplete and electronic tracing only finds lines that carry a signal or have tracer wire. Plastic pipe without a tracer, old clay or cast iron lines, abandoned conduit and private lines past the meter are the common blind spots. Utility owners mark their own facilities, not the owner's private ones, so a plant yard or a business campus may have a web of unmarked lines.

The danger is real. Striking a gas line, an energized conductor or a pressurized main can injure or kill. We follow the one-call process, respect the tolerance zone around each mark and use hand or vacuum methods inside it. Hydro excavation is non-destructive, and the water is kept clear of electrical gear. Crews wear the right protection, keep fire equipment on hand where gas is possible and stop work at once if they find something unexpected.

How we run a potholing day

We start with the plans, the marks and the question: what does the engineer or the foreman need to know? A crossing, a tie-in, a bore path or a foundation corner each ask a different question. Then we walk the site and choose the hole locations that answer it.

At each hole, we cut the surface neatly, use the vacuum to open a small window and expose the line. We measure top of pipe, outside diameter, material, any markings and the distance to nearby marks. We photograph it, survey the location and record it in a table the engineer can use. Then we backfill in lifts, compact and patch the surface. For work in pavement, we may use concrete sawing, cutting and coring to make clean edges so the patch lasts. The result is a set of data points, not a promise.

What we locate and what we report

Our locating scope covers electronic tracing of metallic and tagged lines, ground penetrating radar for non-metallic and unmarked structures, and potholing to verify and measure. We find water, sewer, storm, gas, power, fiber, telecom and process piping. We also look for abandoned lines, old foundations, buried tanks and other obstructions that surveys miss.

The report is the product. It lists each hole by station and offset, the type and depth of the line, any conflict with the proposed design and our recommendations. Engineers use it to adjust inverts and routes. Contractors use it to plan shoring and traffic control. Owners use it to update their records. When the findings change the design, the earlier the report lands, the cheaper the change. This is the data that feeds utility relocation decisions and sets the order of work for site utilities.

Old ground with layers of history

The ground in this metro carries layers. Bar Nunn was built around the runways of Wardwell Field, Casper's original airport, and the old runways now form the town's street pattern. A street grid that follows old runways rather than a surveyed plat means the lines beneath it may not sit where a newcomer would guess. In Bar Nunn, a pothole is the way to find out how the older infrastructure sits relative to the new.

The refinery site that is now Platte River Commons opened in 1895 and ran until the last barrel was refined in 1991. Nearly a century of industrial use leaves piping, foundations and drains in the ground, and some of them are no longer on any drawing. The same applies near the East Casper refinery area, where process lines run through yards and between units. WYDOT's Poplar Street work, which includes storm and sanitary sewer and utility upgrades, is another corridor where the real position of old lines must be known before new ones go in.

Who calls us first

Engineers call during design, when a pothole report can settle a design question. General contractors and construction managers call before a foundation or a utility crew mobilizes. Owners of occupied facilities call when they want a complete picture before a renovation.

Plants and campuses benefit most. A manufacturing plant that has grown through many additions has lines no one remembers, and one cut can stop production. Potholing early reduces the chance of that. It also helps the people who follow us: boring crews, trenchers, drillers and foundation contractors all need the same information, and a shared report keeps everyone working from the same facts.

Fast turnaround and winter methods

Potholing is quick. A vacuum crew can open many holes in a day in open ground, and the report follows within days. For projects with a fixed start, we schedule the work two weeks ahead of the first excavation so the findings can still change the design.

Frozen ground slows it. In winter, we use heated water, thaw blankets or air excavation to get through frost. Holes have to be backfilled with unfrozen material, and in pavement the patch may be temporary until spring. We tell owners when a hole should be re-opened and fixed after the freeze, and we keep a log of every temporary patch.

Find it before you dig it

Send the plans and the crossings that worry you. We will propose hole locations, a schedule that fits your start date and a report format your engineer can use.

Questions Owners Ask

What is the difference between locating and potholing?

Locating uses electronic tools to estimate where a line runs. Potholing physically exposes the line to confirm its depth, size and position. Locating is fast and covers distance. Potholing is precise and covers points. Most jobs use both: locate first, then pothole where precision matters.

Does a pothole damage the pavement?

It makes a small opening, usually a few inches to a foot across, which we patch afterward. In pavement we saw or core a neat edge and restore with approved material. In winter the patch may be temporary until the ground thaws.

Why not just rely on the utility locate request?

The one-call process marks public utilities from records and signals. It does not cover private lines, abandoned lines or lines with no tracer. Marks can also be off by feet. Potholing confirms what the marks suggest and finds what they miss.

How many holes will my project need?

Enough to answer the design questions. A short trench crossing a few known utilities needs a handful. A long corridor or a congested yard needs many more. We propose a plan after reviewing the drawings and the marks.

Can you find utilities that are not on any drawing?

Often, yes. Ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic tools detect pipes, tanks and foundations that records do not show. Results depend on soil and material, so we confirm any hit with a pothole when it matters.

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