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COLUMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS COLUMBIA COUNTY ENGINEERING DIVISION SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES Columbia County Pre-Construction Department Engineering Services Division (706) 312-7279 ---PAGE BREAK--- COLUMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES 2 PREFACE COLUMBIA COUNTY ENGINEERING DIVISION UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES ALL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WITHIN RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND/OR EASEMENTS OWNED BY COLUMBIA COUNTY, OR TO BE DEDICATED TO COLUMBIA COUNTY AT ANY POINT IN THE FUTURE, SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LATEST EDITION OF THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS, UNLESS OTHERWISE APPROVED BY THE COUNTY ENGINEER. CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS All construction standards and specifications, to include utility placements, shall be in accordance with the latest edition of Columbia County’s Construction Standard and Specifications unless otherwise noted below or approved by the County Engineer. WATER UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION: Construction standards and specifications shall be in accordance with the Columbia County Water Utility SUPPLEMENTAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES: Columbia County Board of Commissioners (CCBOC) o CCBOC Code of Ordinances o CCBOC Construction Standard Specifications and Details o CCBOC Work Zone Traffic Control Procedure Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) o GDOT Utility Accommodation Policy and Standards Manual o GDOT Construction Standards and Details o GDOT Standard Specifications Construction of Transportation Systems American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) o AASHTO Roadside Design Guide American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) ---PAGE BREAK--- COLUMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES 3 UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES The issuance of permits allows the Department to manage utility installations in an efficient and orderly manner and to protect assets in the public's interest. The permitting process enables the County to plan for and coordinate utility installations with other activities within the right-of- way. 1. APPLYING FOR A GENERAL UTILITY PERMIT Any person(s), organization, company, and/or contractor wishing to install private utility infrastructure (private broadband, cable TV, electrical, gas, telephone, water, etc.) within the County-owned rights-of-way or easements shall first apply for and acquire a Utility Encroachment Permit through Columbia County’s Utility Permitting Department. a. Applications for general Utility Encroachment Permits are accessible through the Columbia County’s website: Encroachment-Permitting b. Documentation requirements: i. Active Columbia County Business License for all Utility Companies and Sub- Contractors. ii. Utility Construction Plans, to include all water service lines and water mains. iii. If a joint trench is used to carry two or more utilities, it shall be indicated on the application. iv. If an easement is needed, it shall be shown on the application with supported drawings. v. It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify the limits of public right-of-way for location of the utility facilities authorized hereby. Right-of-way limits need to be clearly marked on all submitted plans. vi. Approved Temporary Traffic Control Plan (TTCP), if applicable. See Section 2.e for more details. vii. Private Owned Road absent of any County-owned underground infrastructure must obtain a written agreement between the Utility Company and Property Owner. 2. INSTALLATION/CONSTRUCTION a. Permitted working hours shall be 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday – Friday (excluding Columbia County holidays). Requests to work on Saturday shall be made in writing to the Columbia County Utility Permitting Manager a minimum of 48 hours in advance. All boring must be completed prior to 4:00 p.m. daily – no exceptions. b. A valid locate number for all proposed work must be obtained per O.C.G.A. Title 25 Chapter 9 (Georgia Dig Law). Verify all locates. c. All vehicles and equipment must be marked designating the Utility Company the work is being completed for d. The permit, submitted plans, and a Columbia County Business License shall always be onsite and visible. ---PAGE BREAK--- COLUMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES 4 e. Traffic infringement is not permitted without an approved TTCP. Submit all request for traffic flow shifts and/or closures to [EMAIL REDACTED]. f. Work under the issued permit requires project notifications to all residents/HOA (i.e. door hangers) with contact information. g. All work must be observed by someone of authority appointed by the permit holder. h. Adequate signage and cones are also required on approach and throughout the job span for protection of the crew members. i. Joint or common trenches are preferred. j. At all times proper precautions shall be taken to prevent damage to asphalt, concrete, or soil surfaces by equipment outriggers, buckets, tracks, tires, etc. and/or associated equipment fluids. The repair of such damage is the responsibility of the applicant. k. No work is permitted outside of the right-of-way. l. No materials shall be permitted to be placed in curb or gutter lines. Only when an approved lane closure is in place may material be placed on roadways. All material shall be removed in its entirety at the end of the working day and prior to removing the lane closure. m. Road bore(s) must be perpendicular to the right-of-way n. All trenches and backfilled material must be left in a condition conducive to adequate drainage of runoff water. o. All bore pits must adhere to Columbia County’s Construction Standard Specifications and Details. p. Open cuts of the roadway are not permitted. If a window is required to spot a utility, a detailed request must be submitted in writing to [EMAIL REDACTED] with supporting documentation, i.e. location details, measurements, plans and photos. q. Permission to retrieve lost equipment under the roadway is rarely granted but will be considered on a case- by-case basis. 3. NOTIFICATIONS The applicant is required to maintain contact with Columbia County Utility Permitting prior to commencement of permitted work. a. Online Crew Locations are required and can be found on the County’s website. These should be submitted by 9:00 am daily until the project is completed. i. Required notification types are as follows: a) Road Bores-Notify a minimum of 24 hours. b) Placement of Backfill, Concrete, or Asphalt- Notify a minimum of one hour prior to placement c) Extended Stop in Work-Notify a minimum of one working day prior to an extended stop in work if the suspension is to be three or more working days d) Deviation from Approved Plans, to include Test Hole Locations-Notify immediately or as soon as possible. ---PAGE BREAK--- COLUMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS UTILITY PERMITTING ENCROACHMENT GUIDELINES 5 e) Damages to other Utilities, Infrastructure, and/or Property-Notify immediately utilizing the damage report form accessible through the County’s website. NOTE: This is required in addition to damage reporting practices already required by Georgia 811, Columbia County Water Utility, and Columbia County Emergency Services. f) Final Inspection / Close out Request-Notify within seventy-two (72) hours utilizing the Final Inspection / Close out Request form found on our website. 4. INSPECTIONS a. The Utility Permitting Inspector may perform periodic inspections of active permitted work. b. Submit all Final Inspection / Close Out Request through the Columbia County website. c. Upon receiving notification of job completion, an inspection shall be performed. Any deficiencies or incomplete work, the applicant(s) have three working days to perform any required. Any deficiency creating a public hazard shall be corrected immediately. 5. WARRANTY PERIOD a. The applicant(s) shall agree to an eighteen (18) month warranty period, which commences at the acceptance of the completed permitted work. During the warranty period the applicant(s) are responsible for correcting any deficiencies. Any deficiency creating a public hazard shall be corrected immediately. In the event the applicant(s) fail to repair the deficiency in the designated time frame and in a satisfactory manner, all other permits for the applicant(s) may be put on hold until completion or repair is made satisfactorily. 6. EMERGENCY PERMITS a. Emergency permits may be obtained from Columbia County Utility Permitting by email. At minimum the email shall include the applicant(s) contact information, description of utility, method of installation and location. Emergency permit requests shall be sent to [EMAIL REDACTED] and shall list “Emergency Permit Request” in the subject line. Work which is performed as an emergency does not excuse notification or request for permit.