Chapter 3
3.31 Enhanced Positive Response
Practice Statement:
Enhanced Positive Response is utilized, where available, to provide additional information to the excavator about a performed locate.66
Practice Description:
This information provided to the excavator, prior to excavation, will help the excavator know more about the utilities and job site prior to dispatching resources to excavate. With this additional information, the excavator will be able to plan the excavation to reduce damage to underground utilities.
This communication may include documentation and any other information that will promote safe excavation including details about the locate and the facility owner.
It is a common practice for utility operators and contract locators to capture the enhanced information about locates that are performed in response to 811 Centers requests.
Sharing this enhanced information with the excavator, prior to excavation, will help to reduce damage to underground facilities and provide clarification of the location of each utility.
References:
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A pilot program was successfully implemented in 2014 in Montgomery County MD. The success of the pilot program encouraged utilization of the EPR throughout Washington Gas distribution system beginning May 2015, there have been over 1,000,000 EPR packages provided system wide.
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The proposed practice enhances Locating and Marking BP 4.9, and 4.13. The proposed EPR will provide support for Excavation BP 5.8, 5.10, 5.11, 5.13, 5.14.
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EPR is in use as a daily process by Washington Gas, UtiliQuest and Miss Utility (OCC) 811 center for all locate requests in Washington DC and MD.