The various “Call Before You Dig” signs that
utility companies post on their billing documents and elsewhere are intended to
alert people for the need to ensure there are no services in the area of
planned digging. While the consequences of a construction project terminating a
television or telephone service are not quite as dangerous as cutting through a
power or gas line, getting the ground marked is always a prudent idea. As there
are several services buried underground, they are assigned different colour
codes to identify them. Buried water lines are identified by the colour blue, hydro
power is red and yellow is used for gas. Now, what colour do you think is used
to mark sewer lines? Brown? No. How about green? Although the colour used for
water, hydro and gas appears appropriate, you need to scratch your head to see
how sewers and green go together. Perhaps with the colour green being
associated with nature and environmentally appealing, the City of Ottawa wants
to divert our attention away from what is actually in the pipe below;
particularly during major storms when the system can’t handle the entire volume
and surplus sewage ends up in the Ottawa River. Not so green!
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