If you’ve noticed colorful flags or bright markings in your yard or along the sidewalk, you’re seeing "utility locates." These marks are a standard part of keeping our community infrastructure safe and functional.

What are these marks?

Before any work begins—whether it’s a city project or a utility upgrade—professionals identify where underground lines are located. This ensures that any work done nearby can proceed smoothly without interrupting your service.

The Color Guide

Each color tells us what is below the surface:

• Red: Electricity

• Yellow: Gas

• Orange: Communication (Internet/Cable)

• Blue: Water

• Green: Sewer

• Purple: Irrigation

• Pink: Surveying

• White: Proposed work area

Helping Maintain the Marks

We understand that these flags and paint might not fit your preferred aesthetic for your outdoor space. However, they are essential for the safety of the crews and the protection of your utility services.

• Keep Them in Place: For the most accurate work, please leave flags and paint marks exactly where the professionals placed them.

• Mowing Tips: If you are tending to your lawn, you can briefly lift the flags and place them right back in the same spot once you’re done.

• They are Temporary: The flags will be collected once the project is finished, and the paint is formulated to fade away naturally with rain and sunlight.

Planning your own project? Call 811 first.

If you are planning to dig on your property—even for something as simple as planting a tree—you are required by law to contact 811. This service is free.

1. Contact 811 at least two full business days before you dig.

2. Wait for the locators to mark your property.

3. Confirm that all utility operators have responded.

4. Dig with Care and stay at least 2 feet away from any marked lines.

Note: 811 locators only mark public utility lines. Private lines (like those for a backyard shed or pool heater) may require a private locator.