Glossary

360 Feedback: Members participate in a program designed to create “full circle” communication with excavators, allowing them to update locate request status via Ontario Dig Authority’s system or website.

Buffer zone: A range of distance from actual physical plant that members advise Ontario Dig Authority to include in notifications, varying based on confidence in location accuracy and risk assessment.

Cancellation: A locate request that has been cancelled at the excavator’s request and will no longer proceed.

Checkbox Clearance: Infrastructure owners can auto-clear notifications based on pre-determined criteria like private property designation, depth, work type, or excavation method.

Correction: A change to non-critical information that doesn’t affect excavation extent or require Map Selection redrawing, retaining the original request number with no charge.

Damage: “Any impact, stress and/or exposure that results in the need to repair an underground facility due to a weakening or the partial or complete destruction.”

Emergency: Loss of service by utility that would cause imminent or significant safety/environmental hazard, requiring infrastructure owner response within two hours.

Emergency and priority locate request procedure: Requests only accepted via phone call to Ontario Dig Authority.

Excavation: “An operation using equipment or explosives to move earth, rock or other material below existing grade.”

Excavator: “Any individual, partnership, corporation, public entity that digs, bores, trenches, grades, excavates, moves or breaks earth.”

Excavator locate requests: Received via web or telephone; must include contact name/number, city, street, two nearest intersecting streets, and work type at minimum.

Goodnight Report: Optional nightly list of locate requests transmitted in the last 24hrs (free service).

Identifying the dig site: Ontario Dig Authority requires sufficient location details, including the work site address (if available) and nearby intersecting streets, to accurately position the dig site in the GIS mapping system.

Locate Request: “Means notification by an excavator of proposed work to Ontario Dig Authority. It may be a standard request, priority request or emergency request.”

Locate request categories: Prioritized and numbered sequentially as Advanced/Project Work, Standard, Priority, or Emergency based on desired work commencement date.

Locates: “Means markings on the ground made by the owner or operator of underground infrastructure indicating the location of its underground infrastructure; and providing to the Excavator a written document.”

Maintaining your equipment: Underground Infrastructure Owners must decide on compatible receiving equipment location/type and maintain it in good working order.

Mapping your service area: Members provide Ontario Dig Authority with information portraying their coverage area via digital GIS files, hard copy maps, or municipal confirmation.

Member contact information: Members provide billing/administration, operations, and mapping contact details and must notify Ontario Dig Authority of changes.

Member of Ontario Dig Authority: Includes every Ontario municipality, Hydro One, Ontario Power Generation, gas distributors/transmitters, electricity distribution operators, entities under Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act, and persons owning infrastructure crossing public rights-of-way.

Notification: Ontario Dig Authority determines member notification status and informs excavators which members will be notified, providing “All Clear” where appropriate.

Notification service: Basic service where infrastructure owners provide location information and Ontario Dig Authority transmits notifications for all dig activity in pre-defined areas.

Operator: “A person who does not own the infrastructure in question but otherwise is responsible for its day-to-day operation.”

Person: “Any individual or legal entity, public or private.”

Priority 0: Deferred emergency used only at the discretion of Ontario Dig Authority. Members will do their best to complete locates in a timely manner, however, they still have up to 5 or 10 business days to complete their response, depending on the type of request (single address request or advanced request).

Private lines: Not covered by Ontario Dig Authority members; separate locates required for pool heater lines, barbeque gas lines, and secondary service lines.

Project Work: Excavation comprising at least two properties with separate municipal addresses or properties where at least one lacks a municipal address; 10 business days for completion.

Receiving notifications: Members receive notifications via FTP, SFTP, email, or phone calls for emergencies.

Standard: Single address requests reasonably expected to commence within 30 days; members complete locates or provide clearance within 5 business days.

Subsequent notification categories: Correction, Update, and Relocate notifications sent after original notification based on additional excavator information.

Suppressions and Alternate Locate Agreements: Special arrangements managing notifications based on contractor ID for work not requiring traditional field locates.

Underground Infrastructure/Facility/Plant: “A cable, line, pipe, conduit, or structure used to gather, store, or convey products or services.”

Update: Critical information changes affecting location/extent requiring new request number; treated as new request for billing.

Validating and Mapping your Underground Network: Underground Infrastructure Owners must also validate their mapping coverage at least every 180 days to ensure accurate, up-to-date information.

Web requests: User-friendly requests submitted at excavator’s convenience allowing specific dig location mapping; may require Ontario Dig Authority audit.