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Utility locates surge strains Wausau staff; city required to respond under state 811 system
Summary
Commissioners were told May 6 that increased boring and broadband installs are creating heavy demand for utility locates, requiring multiple full-time staff or costly outsourcing and imposing unreimbursed costs on the utility.
Commissioners at the Wausau Waterworks meeting May 6 heard that a surge in bore-and-locate requests tied in part to broadband and other underground work is demanding multiple full-time employees and producing net costs to the utility.
Commissioner Robinson asked whether locates are scheduled by project or called individually. Eric, Director, responded: "No. They call them in individually... We're managing the amount they're doing through permits, through the engineering department." Ben said there are "28 different boring companies in town" and that many companies perform multiple blocks per day. He estimated locate staffing needs at "3 to 4 people a day" for the summer and gave a preliminary cost estimate: "200,000, I would say, at least. A few hundred thousand dollars."
The commission also discussed payment for locates. A commissioner asked whether the utility is reimbursed $80 per locate; staff clarified that the utility pays to participate in the 811 locate transmission system and that the $80 figure is what the company doing the work pays in some contexts. "We're not getting paid to do locates," Eric said. The utility reported several hundred to more than 900 locate requests in recent months, noting that snow months had been lighter but demand is rising.
Commissioners asked staff to prepare an estimate of annual locate costs and noted past discussion about contracting the work versus hiring in-house locators. Staff said contracting had previously been quoted at roughly $150,000 a year for about 7,000 locates, which the utility had previously judged less favorable than hiring staff who can perform locates and other tasks during slower periods.
No formal action was taken at the May 6 meeting; commissioners asked staff to assemble a financial estimate for the next meeting.
