UTILITY LOCATING SERVICES

PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE UTILITIES

When referring to public and private utilities, we are discussing the ownership of the utility infrastructure, not the ownership of the land.

Who owns the utility?

Utility ownership does not relate to the property the utility is on, but rather to the infrastructure itself.
For example: Manitoba Hydro owns the infrastructure up to the meter, whether it be for gas or power. Anything beyond the meter would be privately owned.

Who is responsible for locating the buried utility?

The utility owner is responsible for locating the utility. As mentioned above, the utility owner is based on the infrastructure in question, not the property it goes through.

Breakdown of typical utility ownership*:

Main power – Public (to the meter)
- Larger buildings will often have a transformer outside the building on property, this transformer will often have the meter on it. The power from transformer to building will be privately owned.
Gas – Public (to the meter)
Main telecommunications – Public (to the building)
Water service – Public to the edge of property, Private from edge of property to building
Sewer – Public to edge of property, Private from edge of property to building
Secondary power – Private
- Parking lot lights, plugs or signs
- Power to out buildings on property
Secondary Telecom lines – Private
- Telecom lines feeding secondary buildings on property
Secondary gas – Private
- Gas service from main building on property to out buildings, where there is only one meter (at main building)

*This is a general overview, for specific scenarios please contact us for clarification.

* Our Locate Management System can take care of all of this for you.