Digging near utility lines, etc? (house, fence, yard)

[VA DIVA]

Recently CPS and the some other utitlites companies came out to mark our yard to tell us where not to dig. I wanted to know if someone has actually planted flowers or other plants in the area that was marked. I want to put some plants near my fence but its one of the areas that off limits I guess. I don't plan on digging deep, but I don't want to hit a line/pipe. Any advice?

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

Originally Posted by VA DIVA

I don't plan on digging deep, but I don't want to hit a line/pipe. Any advice?

Well, I'm no rocket scientist, but I think if you don't want to risk hitting anything then you shouldn't dig there....

[SnappyBob]

Put in a raised bed. Don't dig below ground level. You might put some cattle panel down just on the bottom of your raised bed with some of that tape that reads "Do not dig. Electric hazard" or something to that affect underneath it. That way even if you move, anybody going into that bed with a tiller will not be able to dig past ground level. Or just don't dig there.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

Good idea, Snappy'.

VA, I'm glad you scheduled that appointment. It's actually illegal to dig where you don't know if there are water lines or electrical conduit lines.

[huckster]

Within a week a representative will come out and locate the lines and flag the route of the lines, flags on wires all along the route .Red flags -being electric, yellow- gas, blue- water , telephone will have their logo on the flags.
You will propbably never hit the lines the lines are usually two feet down
minimum but mistakes are made all of the time ,even as to locations and depth . Hand digging will not hurt them any - unless you use a *****xe. Even with this tool you shoud not damage them.
Water sevcies usually come from the house straight to the curb where the meter is located. Sanity sewer runs from the toilet ro the street but usually located very deeply. Telephone lines come from the utility pole as does electric and cable. That is unless you have one of the newer homes with the electrical transformer on the ground. Then it mat be a direct burial cagle or have a conduit around it from where the meter is located and it is usually very deeply buried, a minimum of two feet. If the electric, cable and phone cables come from the utility pole you've got no worries.
maybe

Originally Posted by VA DIVA

Recently CPS and the some other utitlites companies came out to mark our yard to tell us where not to dig. I wanted to know if someone has actually planted flowers or other plants in the area that was marked. I want to put some plants near my fence but its one of the areas that off limits I guess. I don't plan on digging deep, but I don't want to hit a line/pipe. Any advice?