There’s a harsh truth about utility locating: You don’t know what you don’t know. And when it comes to private utilities—you know, those not located by 811—you may not know what’s below because blueprints and site plans are often limited, incomplete or out of date. Digging on property without first calling a private locator poses many risks: property or utility damage, increased costs, or worse—putting lives at risk.

As a private utility locator, Blood Hound leverages two advanced technologies to identify underground utilities and structures:

  • Electromagnetic (EM) scanning: This technology allows us to accurately survey and plot the position and depth of detected utilities. EM is a good solution for identifying the utilities and structures that are known by the property owner.
  • Ground Penetrating Radar: GPR is the gold standard in private locates. This technology provides real-time visuals of facilities that can't be located by traditional methods. Basically, it sees what can’t be seen, such as underground storage tanks, facilities buried in concrete, buried footers, or plastic pipes without tracer wires. It’s also used for the utilities that cannot conduct a current and, therefore, are not picked up by EM scanning. Today, GPR is one of the most effective technologies used in geological surveys, environmental studies, construction and re-construction projects. 

Best of all, EM and GPR allows you to find known and unknown private utilities without the risk or mess of exploratory digging. Upon completion, you’ll have ALL utilities marked and flagged to ensure a safe worksite—and no surprises.