Why is USA spray painted on the ground?

TIL: "USA" spray painted on streets actually stands for "Underground Service Alert" to indicate there are electrical/gas/etc pipes buried below and to "call (8-1-1) before you dig" there.

Why is USA spray painted on telephone poles?

Have you noticed PG&E poles all over town spray-painted with the letters U-S-A? It's not patriotic graffiti, but an acronym for "underground service alert" indicating that electrical, gas, cable, water, sewer or power lines lie below.

What does USA written on ground mean?

Before digging on a property, everyone is supposed to delineate the proposed dig area with white markings, so that DigAlert knows where to focus its efforts. People write “USA” because DigAlert's official name is actually Underground Service Alert of Southern California, or USA/SC.

What does white spray paint on ground mean?

White stands for the proposed borders of an excavation. When crews need to mark the limits of the excavation needed for a basement, or even just a trench, they mark the outlines in white paint. This is usually the first step before any underground infrastructure is precisely located.

What does USA mean in digging?

Underground Service Alert (USA) is a non-profit mutual benefit organization that links the excavation community and the owners of underground lines.

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Why is there blue spray paint on my lawn?

BLUE: Potable, Water. GREEN: Sewers and Drain Lines. PURPLE: Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines.

What does white marking paint mean?

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. Pink: Temporary Survey Markings. Red. Red: Electric power lines, cables or conduit, and lighting cables.

What does spray painted USA mean?

TIL: "USA" spray painted on streets actually stands for "Underground Service Alert" to indicate there are electrical/gas/etc pipes buried below and to "call (8-1-1) before you dig" there.

What does spray paint on sidewalk mean?

Spray paint on streets and roads means someone's digging, but the colors also mean something specific. JIM WITMER / STAFF. By Chris Stewart. All those colored lines you see spray painted on the ground, streets and sidewalks typically mean one thing: someone's going to start digging.

What does pink spray paint on sidewalk mean?

Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation and slurry lines. Pink: temporary survey markings, unknown/unidentified facilities.

Does USA mark on private property?

Why don't they mark on private property? Answer: The California Government Code 4216 only requires them to mark the lines they own and/or maintain.

Why do utility companies spray paint?

Why do they spray paint these marks sometimes, and then not come up and do some obvious big utility project?” Become a sponsor? He calls these ubiquitous marks “utility graffiti.” While they may seem unsightly, they're part of a system that keeps us all safe and prevents damage to the vast network beneath our feet.

What does red paint on the road mean?

Red or terra cotta colored pavement highlights the prominence of the transit system, while at the same time visually enforcing dedicated transit space.

What does white paint on sidewalk mean?

Painted colored curbs have the following special parking rules: White–Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail. Green–Park for a limited time.

What does yellow paint on grass mean?

YELLOW – Gas, Oil, Steam Petroleum or Gaseous Materials. ORANGE – Communication, Cable TV, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit. BLUE – Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines. GREEN – Sewers and Drain Lines. PINK – Temporary Survey Markings.

What does pink paint on trees mean?

The following are some work items and the primary and/or secondary colors used to mark each: Cut tree (blue/yellow), leave trees (orange/pink), wildlife reservation (white), cutting boundary (orange), cancel prior work (black), and property lines (red).

What does red spray paint on a tree mean?

Tom said that it is common for many foresters that work in the region to utilize certain colors to express specific things. For example, blue is commonly used to indicate a property boundary, while red is used to indicate the boundary within which the timber harvesting is to take place.

What does a red dot sprayed on a tree mean?

Marking trees can provide vital information about a tree and the work site. Marks can indicate a tree has been selected for felling as part of an upcoming harvesting operation. It could also flag up a diseased tree, mark a boundary or show that a tree needs to be protected.

What does green paint on sidewalk mean?

Green: Parking allowed for a short time. The time is usually shown on a sign next to the green zone, or may be painted on the curb. Green curb can also be used for student loading zones if accompanied by the appropriate signs. Yellow: Stop only long enough to load or unload passengers.

What does paint on the road mean?

WHITE LINES painted on the pavement indicate traffic traveling in your direction. Broken White Line: you may change lanes if it is safe to do so. Solid White Line: requires you to stay within the lane and also marks the shoulder of the roadway.

What do pink stakes mean?

Pink is strictly used by land surveying companies to state where the temporary survey markings are. The color codes for locating utilities, conduit or rebar in concrete can present slightly different colors depending on the surface.

What are the color codes for underground utilities?

What do blue paint markings mean?

Blue denotes water while yellow means gas, green means CCTV or cable firm networks and white, telecommunications (or general messages to contractors carrying out works). The numbers between the lines are used spell out the distance from the kerb of a particular pipe or a cable or - if a D is used - its depth.

What does a blue flag on a lawn mean?

Blue flags – Blue means water, irrigation or slurry. Usually this is drinking water. Damage this line and you could flood your home or find yourself without drinking water for a few days.

What is the Orange underground line?

Orange – Telecommunication, alarm or signal lines. Yellow – Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other flammable material.