Locating & Operating the Water Service Curb Box

Plumbers and/or property owners should contact the Water Utility before a plumber is scheduled to operate the curb box and do plumbing work for a property. Utility staff will locate, mark and check the curb box and make sure it is working correctly. Contact the La Crosse Utilities Office at (608) 789-7536 at least 3 days before you are scheduled to work at a property to allow the utility time to schedule utility personnel. Unless it is a situation the Utility considers an emergency, there is no guarantee that scheduling will allow utility personnel time to locate and check a curb box on the day of the request. It is the responsibility of the plumber and/or property owner to plan ahead and not wait to call the day they are going to be working at the property.

When a request to locate and check a curb box is made according to the Utility Policy, Utility personnel will be sent to the site to locate, mark and exercise the curb stop or service valve at no charge.

Shutting Off a Curb Box

In addition to La Crosse Utility personnel, all licensed plumbers in the City of La Crosse are authorized to operate the curb box, and will have the necessary curb key to turn the service off and back on. If a property owner contacts the Utility requesting to have the curb box shut off, they will be advised to contact a local licensed plumber.

Should a customer contact the Utilities Office and need the curb box turned on that was not turned off by the utility, they will be advised to call a local plumber. If it is necessary for utility personnel to turn on a curb box to reconnect service, the customer will be charged a the current PSC-approved rate for turn-on charges during and after normal business hours.

Important: Locate and checks are done Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For after-hours emergencies: call (608) 789-7388.

Failure to follow this policy will result in your liability for damages and repairs.

Diggers Hotline

When preparing for a project, whether building a new home, installing/repairing utility service lines, building a new deck, installing a play gym for your kids in the backyard, or putting in a new fence, Wisconsin Statute §182.0175 requires a party to notify Diggers Hotline. It is also important to be aware of the fact that you may be held liable for any damages to buried utility lines if Diggers Hotline is not contacted before digging.

When it comes time to start that yard project you can call Diggers Hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, either by calling (800) 242-8511. You can also submit your request through online at www.DiggersHotline.com/file-a-request.

Please note that there are no charges to individual customers for this service.

When you contact Diggers Hotline you will always be asked to provide certain information so please be prepared with the following information:

• Specify that you are a homeowner and provide your name, phone number and address
• The city, township, or village that you are planning to work in
• The street address of the work site
• The nearest intersecting road and the distance and direction from that road (this helps our representatives find the exact location on our maps)
• The kind of work that you plan to do (i.e. planting a tree or installing a fence)
• The date you plan to start work
• The area you would like to have marked for underground facilities on the property

Once you have put in your request you will be given a ticket number, which is your legal proof that you contacted Diggers Hotline, and you must wait three working days before digging to allow proper time for all of the underground utility lines to be marked. After the three day waiting period you are then clear to dig; it is best to stay a minimum of 18 inches away from the lines on either side, but the safest bet is to avoid any areas with buried facilities completely. If you must dig within 18 inches, dig with care using hand tools.

Diggers Hotline is an independent, free service for anyone doing excavation work, that coordinates activities between excavators and utilities such as phone, electric, cable, water and natural gas to mark dangerous and costly underground and overhead utilities around homes and professional job sites. Over 1,100 utilities and other buried facility owners are members of Diggers Hotline. Wisconsin state law requires all excavators – including homeowners and construction contractors – to contact Digger's Hotline at least three working days before starting any digging.

Diggers Hotline will process three types of calls: 1) excavation 2) planning of excavation and 3) safe working clearance information for overhead lines. The call center will ask for an address or location information. Specific marking instructions also will need to be provided. Once the locate is completed, you have ten calendar days to begin your excavation work before you must call to have the underground facilities relocated.

Please work carefully to avoid unnecessary damage or expense!

• Review the markings before beginning your work. If it doesn't look right, please call 811 and ask for a relocate.
• You are responsible for maintaining surface markings. If the markings are destroyed, please call Digger's Hotline for a relocate.
• Use hand excavation within 18 inches of a marked by unexposed natural gas line or electric cable. Keep equipment clear of exposed or aboveground facilities.
• Inspect any exposed electric pipes or cables for damage. If facilities may have been damaged, please call Stoughton Utilities and we will inspect them promptly at no charge to you.
• If any damage does occur, stay clear and call the La Crosse Utilities immediately at (608)789-7536 to report the damage.

You can start a free locate request by contacting Diggers Hotline at (800) 242-8511, or online at www.DiggersHotline.com/file-a-request. For more information on Wisconsin's Digger's Hotline program, please visit the Digger's Hotline.