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Equipment Used for Underground Utility Locates

At Know Before You Dig Locates, we use a combination of industry-proven technologies to trace, verify, and interpret buried facilities. No single tool is effective in all conditions — our technicians are trained to apply the right method based on facility type, soil condition, location, and known site risks.

EM Locate Equipment

EM locating is the most widely used method for tracing conductive utilities. It detects the signal, not the cable or pipe itself — which means training and interpretation are key. Our technicians use both active and passive EM locating to identify underground utilities in public and private spaces.

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EM Locate equipment have the following key points:

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  • Track electromagnetic signals applied to a buried utility line or emitted naturally

  • Ideal for conductive power, gas, telecom, water, and tracer wire-equipped infrastructure

  • Risks include signal distortion, improper grounding, and misinterpretation of locate results

  • Tolerance distances are assigned to compensate for inherent uncertainty

Technician using electromagnetic (EM) locator to trace underground utility lines on private property
EM Locate Equipment

Sewer Locating Tools: Sondes, Push Cameras & Robots â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

Sewer Locating Tools
Fibreglass reel for sondes for locating non-conductive sewer pipes
Collection of sonde transmitters for sewer locating in non-conductive pipes

Sondes:

  • Signal-emitting probe for non-conductive sewer lines

  • Works well in clay, plastic, concrete

  • Limitations: stops at cast iron, weak signal if deep

​​​​​Push Cameras with Integrated Sondes:

  • Combines video and signal locating

  • Essential for identifying blind T connections and verifying sewer line condition​​​​​

Technicians deploying push camera with sonde to trace sewer line and inspect interior pipe condition
Lateral launch sewer robot designed for deep pipe inspection and accurate facility locating

Sewer Robots:

  • Deep/large pipe access

  • Lateral launch capabilities

  • May require flusher trucks and CSE compliance

Duct Rodders

Flexible fiberglass rods with traceable wire for non-conductive conduit. Can attach sondes to the end of the rodder if necessary.

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Ideal for:

  • Empty PVC conduits

  • Telecom and irrigation installs

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Limitations: No visual confirmation and refusal cannot be interpreted.

Fiberglass duct rodder with EM transmitter and receiver for tracing empty conduits
Duct Rodders
Acoustic pipe locating kit used to trace non-metallic water lines using pulsed vibration and sound detection

Acoustic Pipe Locators

Designed for plastic water lines with no tracer wire. Sends pulsed vibration through the pipe; technicians trace the sound using a sensor and head phones.

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Ideal for:

  • Water services

  • Fire mains

  • Irrigation pipes

 

Limitations: high ambient noise, must isolate internal plumbing.

Acoustic Pipe Locators
Ground Penetrating Radar

Ground Penetrating Radar

GPR sends radar pulses into the ground and interprets the reflections to identify anomalies. It can detect metallic and non-metallic features — but not what they are. It’s best used with other methods.

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Locate & Mark Method:

  • Quick scan across a suspected path

  • Tech interprets radar hyperbolas to mark location

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Mapping Method:

  • Gridded survey processed through software

  • Produces 3D models and depth slices

  • Most accurate but takes more time and setup

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Limitations:

  • Performs poorly in wet, clay-rich, or rocky soils

  • Cannot identify the object — only shows an anomaly

  • Prone to misreads without supporting methods

GSSI 1,000 MHz GPR for concrete scanning for rebar, post tension cables and buried utilities in concreteing
Technician using ground penetrating radar to detect buried infrastructure in paved area
Ground penetrating radar data showing line scans vs mapping of subsurface snomalies
Magnetometers
Magnetic locator used to detect buried ferrous objects like valve boxes and manhole covers

Magnetometers - Need to expand this

Magnetometers detect ferrous objects — great for targets that don’t carry signals.

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Used to find:

  • Iron valve boxes

  • Manhole covers buried under pavement

  • Survey pins

 

Not used for pipe or cable locating, but excellent for asset location and recovery.

Our technicians are trained in all these technologies and use them in combination, because no single tool can guarantee accuracy. Knowing before you dig requires experience, judgment, and the right equipment for the job.

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