Tracy DeMarco
As seen in:
Planet Underground,
JD Supra
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Articles by Tracy DeMarco
Utility Map Reading: Gas – Part 4
The electrical test station is not on the map (Figure 32). It may have been installed after the map was created. The steel pipe was installed in 1985 and is 6’ south of the south edge of the sidewalk. After it transitions to plastic, that main is 26’ south of the centerline of the east-west […]
Utility Map Reading: Gas – Part 3
A welded steel gas main traveling north was installed in 1989. This main is located 3’ west of the east property line. It transitions to a 2” plastic main 40’ west of the centerline of this north-south street. Once the pipe transitions to plastic, it becomes 22’ west of the centerline of the north-south street […]
Utility Map Reading: Gas – Part 2
The 4” main runs through a larger protective steel pipe known as a casing. The casing was placed in the concrete tunnel before the steel gas main was pushed through it (Figure 9). This measurement is taken from the west side of the sidewalk on the east side of North Grove Street. The gas main […]
Telephone: Part 4
North American Color Code Until the late 1960s, telephone cable was insulated with red or white-colored compressed paper pulp (Figure 60). Underground cables were pressurized with air to repel moisture, and if the cable was severed by excavation, repairs often took days, as technicians had to electronically identify corresponding red and white cable pairs. Plastic insulated conductor (PIC) using the North American color code replaced pulp cable.
Telephone: Part 3
Cell Tower Since cell phone traffic makes up about 60% of all internet data, redundancy is vital. To prevent outages, most cell towers in urban areas have redundant backhaul, meaning the tower is fed by two fiber lines generally coming from opposite directions (Figure 40). A cell tower’s directional sector antennas positioned at the top of the tower (Figure 41) are arranged in three groups with each group covering 120° of area. Fiber cable runs from the base of the tower to these antennas.
Telephone: Part 2
Hardened Remote Terminal Performing the functions of a central office, this structure was designed to withstand harsh conditions such as long power outages caused by natural disasters. Generators provided backup power for the hardened remote terminal (H-RT) in addition to large batteries (Figures 23-24). These buildings were essentially bunkers that could withstand blizzards, severe temperature swings, hurricanes, floods and heavy lightning.
Part 4 - Planet Underground
While water distribution ends with the customer, the water customer becomes the beginning of the wastewater distribution system. Wastewater, or sewage, exits the customer’s premises via sewer laterals that become deeper as they approach the sanitary sewer main. Cleanouts on the lateral give access to clear debris blocking the flow of sewage. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive.
Part 3 - Planet Underground
Water: Part 3 Flushing hydrants is a maintenance activity that extends the life of the distribution system. Discharging sediment buildup in water mains delivers better quality water to customers. Meanwhile, the available water flow for fire protection is verified. Valves are also found on hydrant stubs, so that if a hydrant needs replacing because it’s leaking, the water supply can be shut off to a hydrant at a hydrant valve (Figures 29-30). This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive.
Part 2 - Planet Underground
Water mains are constructed of both metallic and nonmetallic material. On the metallic side, steel mains (Figure 15) are typically used for larger-diameter transmission mains. Cast iron water mains (Figure 16) were installed until the 1970s before being replaced entirely by more versatile ductile iron pipe (Figure 17). Ductile iron pipe is typically supplied in lengths of 18 or 20 feet. Individual lengths of pipe are known as sticks. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive.
Part 1 - Planet Underground
Water can come from surface sources like rivers, lakes, or ponds. Or, it can be pumped to the surface from underground reservoirs, also known as aquifers (Figure 1). Water for a distribution system is processed at a filtration plant (Figure 2). This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. Water can come from surface sources like rivers, lakes, or ponds. Or, it can be pumped to the surface from underground reservoirs, also known as aquifers (Figure 1).
North Carolina General Assembly Enacts Power Bill Reduction Act | JD Supra
On July 29, 2025, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the Power Bill Reduction Act, overriding Gov. Josh Stein’s veto. This landmark legislation introduces significant reforms to North Carolina’s electric utility regulatory framework. Perhaps most notably, the act eliminates the interim resource planning goal of achieving a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 while maintaining the target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
Electric: Secondary Enclosure
The high voltage primary enters the left side of a single-phase transformer, and the low voltage secondary cables exit from the right side of the transformer. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. The high voltage primary enters the left side of a single-phase transformer, and the low voltage secondary cables exit from the right side of the transformer. Username: Password:
Electric: Residential Service
Electric: Residential Service The neutral cable is grounded to earth on one end and connected to the neutral at the transformer on the other (Figure 89). Inside the residence, both streams of electricity give the owner 240-volt service. One stream of electricity will give the customer 120-volt service (Figure 90).
Electric: Duct Systems
Underground ducts are tubes made of concrete or plastic that connect with vaults housing electrical equipment, such as transformers (Figure 80). Each conduit will hold a single cable or a single circuit (Figure 81). A conduit system allows cables to be replaced without excavation. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. Underground ducts are tubes made of concrete or plastic that connect with vaults housing electrical equipment, such as transformers (Figure 80).
Electric: Open Points
Electricity can flow in two directions, but the electrical distribution system utilizes voltage to flow it in one direction at any one given time. To have redundancy in an electrical loop system, there must be normal open points. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. Electricity can flow in two directions, but the electrical distribution system utilizes voltage to flow it in one direction at any one given time. To have redundancy in an electrical loop system, there must be normal open points.
Electric: Sectionalizer
A sectionalizer is a form of a fused switch, but it functions as an above-ground splice. In Figure 72, the sectionalizer sits atop a 3-phase primary cable and taps into one of the phases, creating a new single-phase primary circuit. The sectionalizer in FIgure 73 serves as a splice for a 3-phase circuit feeding a 3-phase transformer. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. A sectionalizer is a form of a fused switch, but it functions as an above-ground splice.
Electric: Aerial Switches
Electric: Aerial Switches Below are examples of aerial switches (Figures 70-71). These switches open or close based on the need to isolate electrical equipment mounted on poles. Figure 70 Figure 71 Next Section>>>
Gas: Cathodic Protection
High pressure steel gas pipelines are cathodically protected, and they’ll utilize what is known as a rectifier (Figures 40-41) to extend that protection down a longer length of steel pipe. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. High pressure steel gas pipelines are cathodically protected, and they’ll utilize what is known as a rectifier (Figures 40-41) to extend that protection down a longer length of steel pipe. Username: Password:
Gas: Main Valve, Farm Tap
A main valve is a place where the gas flow can be terminated (Figure 15-17). Typically, valves on mains must be exercised on an annual basis to make sure they work. The valve serves as a safety feature in case of excavation damage, excess gas flow, or ignition of the gas downstream. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. A main valve is a place where the gas flow can be terminated (Figure 15-17). Typically, valves on mains must be exercised on an annual basis to make sure they work.
Gas: Introduction
As more utilities are placed and replaced underground, we need to achieve more and better damage prevention results. And since many of the bad damage prevention results each year involve gas explosions and fires, we begin our Basic Utility Knowledge series focusing on natural gas systems. This Story is a Subscriber Exclusive. As more utilities are placed and replaced underground, we need to achieve more and better damage prevention results.
(Analyze) Shape - Planet Underground
Due to the nature of alternating current, half the time the transmitted signal is sent to earth at the grounding device. Due to the grounding device’s proximity, the metal signpost becomes energized (Figures 1-2). Once the signpost is energized, the buried streetlight cable located within a foot of the signpost becomes energized as well. Horizontal inspection of the field will oftentimes tell you whether there are other energized lines within the area of your target line (Figure 1).
(Analyze) Receiving Antennas for L/R Guidance: Part 2
The next three receivers that you’ll see will be using this transmitter (Figure 1). It will be transmitting 8 kHz, which is close to the 9.8 kHz that you’ve just seen. This is what we call electronic null, because again, we’re using two horizontally-positioned peak antennas (Figure 2). You can see that we get a null. That’s where the line intersects the crosshairs (Figure 3). We get two forms of null here.
(Analyze) Receiving Antennas for L/R Guidance: Part 1
On this locate, we’ve constructed a loop of wire. From the access point, we travel 300 feet north and then right back down to the south. So, we have about 600 feet of wire. This is a test scenario, so that we can take a look at not-round fields. And depending on the instrument, we’ll see different results (Figure 1). We’re going to look at the different ways that two antennas can give the operator left-right guidance. Depending on the manufacturer, it’s done one of three ways.
(Analyze) Digital Depth
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(Creating the Circuit) Milliamps and Power: Part 2
Our bare concentric three-phase primary ran on the north side of the street. We’re going to locate an insulated tracer wire along the south side of the street. You’ll recall (see “Milliamps and Power: Part 1”, Vol. 36-3), with 100 mA of push, we were able to get this far on 512 Hz (Figure 34). On the tracer wire, we’re going to utilize 33 kHz (Figure 35). Two hundred milliamps is going to be our output. We asked for 400, but we didn’t get it.
(Creating the Circuit) Signal's Path at Signal Splits
Our next locate is going to be on a three-phase transformer. We’re going to be on 8 kHz, and we’ve asked for a desired current of 20 mA (Figure 20). As we proceed with the locate, something’s going to change in front of us. Our signal is going to have the chance to go in multiple directions. We call this location a signal split (Figure 21). Although we’d like to continue south on the cable, the path of least resistance is going to take our signal to the west (Figure 22).
FERC’s Broadview Solar Order Has Major Implications for Solar QFs and Utilities Implementing PURPA: Impact on Future Solar + Storage QF Resources Unclear | McGuireWoods LLP - JDSupra
In a decision breaking with long-established precedent, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled in a Sept. 1, 2020, order that small power production qualifying facilities (QFs) cannot circumvent the 80 MW power production capacity limit simply by relying on inverters or other output-limiting devices to reduce the net production capacity of a solar array that otherwise has the capability to produce power in excess of the 80 MW power limit.
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