As with any new construction project, it’s crucial to know which utility assets are buried underground. Whether you’re an engineer, contractor, stakeholder or homeowner, the cost and safety benefits of hydro excavation are even more apparent when you have a more comprehensive understanding of the risk associated with alternative methods.

According to the group CGA (Common Ground Alliance - a member-driven association of 1,700 individuals, organisations and sponsors within the underground utility industry) over the past 20 years in the US alone there have been 1,906 injuries and 421 deaths attributed to hitting underground utilities, almost entirely energy infrastructure.

They also site 316,442 cases of utilities being hit during excavation in 2017 at an average cost of $US4000 in direct costs per hit.

In Australia, underground utility conflicts and relocations are a major cause of project delays particularly during road construction.

Studies that have shown that the cost of detecting and safely navigating underground utilities prior to construction typically costs less than 0.5 per cent of the total project construction cost, and saves more than $4 for every $1 spent while reducing project delivery time by as much as 20 per cent.

More importantly the indirect cost, including traffic disruption, injuries to workers, and loss of business custom is just as telling.

Every construction project requires an investment in time and effort which today should include the use of vacuum and hydro excavation equipment in detecting and exposing underground infrastructure prior to (and during) excavation.

It’s been estimated that traditional construction tenders can be inflated by 10-30 per cent to accommodate the additional manpower required, risk perception and social disruption.

Hydro excavation is eco-friendly and safe that gets the job done quicker and more effectively with significantly less work required from manual labourers.

From cutting trenches for plumbing and pipes through to sewer systems pole maintenance, hi-tech installations commercial and industrial projects and landscaping, hydro excavation is precise, safe and efficiently cost effective.