What It Means If You Suddenly Find a Red Flag In Your Yard
It's always smart to keep your eyes open for red flags whether it is in your dating life or maybe even in your yard at home.
And unlike those red flags you run into out at the bar, the ones in your yard might leave you wondering what to do next.
Why Are Flags Places In Yards Without Homeowner's Knowledge?
You come home from work and you suddenly notice a bunch of flags among the grass sticking up out of your yard. You didn't approve of this.
Unfortunately for you, it might not matter. Those flags are likely from a utility company who has to make repairs to something buried near your house.
There is an entire color-coded system that utility companies have agreed upon using when it comes to marking their pipes or wires in someone's yard. Not only does it keep workers from digging in the wrong place, but the system also helps prevent the crew from accidentally damaging another company's property.
READ MORE: If You See Read Paint On A Tree, You Need To Leave In A Hurry
Most companies will use flags to mark their utilities. There are a few, however, that use spray paint to note what is under the ground.
How To Read Utility Flag Colors
There are a total of eight different colors you might spot on a flag left in your yard by a company that is planning to dig. Here is what each color represents according to the Joint Utility Location Information for Excavators, a non-profit organization that helps foster communication between homeowners and utility companies.
Red
A red flag represents underground electrical wiring. Some areas still utilize utility poles with electric wires lifted along streets. If your area had underground electric, you'll likely see a red flag.
Yellow
A yellow flag represents one of three things, all of which are highly combustable. If you see a yellow flag in your yard, that color likely means there is gas, oil or petroleum buried in the area.
Orange
The color orange represents communications. This can be telephone, cable or internet lines buried in your yard.
Blue
Potable water is the water that flow to your home that is safe to drink and to use for bathing and cooking. It is represented by the color blue when utility companies are working in the area.
Purple
Purple is a flag color you're less likely to see in a residential area. It represents reclaimed water or irrigation. Waste water is treated and sent back through the pipe to be used for irrigation purposes in places like farms and other rural areas.
Green
Green means sewer. It seems like they were trying to avoid any jokes by not selecting the obvious color here.
White
A white flag signals a proposed excavation. There is a chance the project doesn't happen after all of the utility companies communicate.
Pink
Pink is representative of a "temporary survey." The color will often be used to mark property lines.
