Can buried UF cross PoCo's primary feed?

[Dusty Floor]

I'd like to run a UF circuit to a gate controller and light partway down our driveway. The best route for it crosses the primary that more or less follows our driveway to the transformer that serves our house and a neighbor's. Depending on exactly how the primary is run, it may be possible to run just between it and the property line, but we won't know that until it's marked. It most likely will also cross the feed from the transformer to the neighbor's meter (I'm not positive of that location, but I assume CBYD would be able to mark it).

I know the primary is about 6' deep (and the phone is just above it), based on a repair made about 100' closer to the street, so there should be plenty of room to safely cross.

I will most likely have a pro do the install due to the trench work, but I'd like to anticipate any issues before getting them out to look at it.

 

[walrus]

I'd like to run a UF circuit to a gate controller and light partway down our driveway. The best route for it crosses the primary that more or less follows our driveway to the transformer that serves our house and a neighbor's. Depending on exactly how the primary is run, it may be possible to run just between it and the property line, but we won't know that until it's marked. It most likely will also cross the feed from the transformer to the neighbor's meter (I'm not positive of that location, but I assume CBYD would be able to mark it).

I know the primary is about 6' deep (and the phone is just above it), based on a repair made about 100' closer to the street, so there should be plenty of room to safely cross.

I will most likely have a pro do the install due to the trench work, but I'd like to anticipate any issues before getting them out to look at it.

I would assume the Power company has a right of way for their feed, might have to have their permission?

 

[kd3pc]

YOu would have to check with the AHJ about where and how (if allowed) to cross it and what conditions have to be met.

In my experience, POCOs frown on things like this and have some pretty steep requirements, unless you are another utility and would be willing to "move" your stuff, if needed.

 

[CNGsaves]

Is driveway on your land, or public roadway?? Is this PoCo primary feed on your land, or in easement to public roadway??

If on your own land, ask AHJ but I'd say you could do it, but risk it getting tore up if PoCo ever has to dig out that run (very unlikely). You should know when this was happening, and you should also keep a scale drawing so you'll know where that buried line will always be. Post copies of that drawing next to your breaker boxes for you and future homeowners.

If in easement to public roadway, frowned on or not allowed. In that case, PoCo or other utilities have very little reason to protect your stuff if working in easement so they'll just tear your stuff up when digging for their stuff.

EDIT: If you're in rural China or Bangladesh, do whatever the hexx you want as no AHJ !!
Now would be good time to Update GJ Profile with City/State/Country.

 

[hh76]

Mark it well, and don't worry about it too much. The power company may would frown on it (some don't care all that much), but it happens all the time.

Be very carefully digging.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Be very VERY careful when digging. One wrong move with a shovel or tractor could have dire consequences.

Primary voltage is not to be messed with!

 

[Dusty Floor]

It's on my land; I don't believe there's a deeded right of way to the power company.
I hadn't thought about it before, but it's a weird setup. We share the first part of our driveway with a neighbor -- the property line runs down the middle of it. On that section, the line runs on their property a few feet off the driveway. After the driveways split, it follows ours for another 50 feet or so, on our property, to the transformer. Their secondary either follows that trench back to the split, or crosses about 20' straight across to their property.

There has been one failure of the primary line since we've lived here (14 years) that required a hole to be dug to repair it. I've been told to expect more, but I'm willing to take the risk/expense of redoing this line if that happens. The alternative is cutting the driveway and pulling up part of a patio.

 

[Dusty Floor]

It was very impressive when the primary failed -- blew a fuse up the street with a big boom. Once they isolated the issue to our primary (after a couple more fuses...), the put a tdr on it and dug about a 4x6' hole; the failed spot was right in the middle of the hole.

 

[Dusty Floor]

While they were waiting for the marking crew to come out, and then daylight to do the repair (it ended up being a day and a half), they fed the transformer with the biggest jumper cable I've seen - about 250' pulled off a trailer sized spool. They had a guy in a truck parked in the street the whole time since they couldn't secure the cover on the access pit with the jumper cables coming out of it. A pretty expensive repair all in all.

 

[RickP]

It's on my land; I don't believe there's a deeded right of way to the power company.

There has been one failure of the primary line since we've lived here (14 years) that required a hole to be dug to repair it. I've been told to expect more, but I'm willing to take the risk/expense of redoing this line if that happens. The alternative is cutting the driveway and pulling up part of a patio.

I have exactly the same situation - I ran the UF cable across the primary and marked it with tape in the trench. If you want to minimize your future rework in case of another primary failure, you might add an aboveground outlet to the circuit just before the cable crosses the primary. Then if your cable gets cut, you'd only have to replace the section between the outlet and the gate. I used a 5' treated wood post and mounted the outlet in a PVC box near the top of the post.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Good idea!