The SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER will connect you with OUPS, the keeper of underground utility records. OUPS, Ohio Utility Protection Service, is a non-profit corporation created in 1972 by a few utility companies, that have grown in membership to 800 diverse companies. The work done by OUPS is completely funded by the membership dues of the utility companies and no cost for the services are paid by excavation companies or the general public.

OUPS does not keep the utility records or mark location in the field but acts as an agency connection informing the proper utilities of the area that needs records forwarded or utilities marked in the field. Per the Ohio Revised Code anyone wanting to excavate needs to contact the relevant utilities at least 48 hours in advance of excavation but not more than 10 days before excavation. A call to OUPS will initiate procedures that notify the utilities in the area. OUPS will also let you know which utilities are not members of its notification network and that these will need to be contacted separately by the contractor or property owner.

The call to OUPS can initiate two types of reponses. If you ask for records only, OUPS will notify the utility companies to send you the records that they have of their utilities in the area of you excavation. In that case no field markings will be done. In the second case, you must call before your excavation in the time frame stated above and this will result in field locations of the different utilities. As you have most likely seen in the field, each utility will mark the location of their underground lines with traffic paint or location flags.

WEB LINK of THE MONTH: www.oups.org

As always, you can count on McSteen and Associates, a second-generation multi-faceted family business that has been serving Northeast Ohio since 1970 to contact OUPS for records when designing your project.

The management team consisting of Terry Feller, President and Registered Professional Engineer and Surveyor, Tim Feller, Vice President and Registered Professional Surveyor and Debbie Feller CFO and Certified Public Accountant and the 50 employees in the offices in Cuyahoga, Lake, Summit, and Franklin counties will handle your surveying and engineering needs. Local knowledge of the area and experience with the utilities allows McSteen & Associates to go the extra mile to protect your investment.

Whether your needs are Mortgage Location and Boundary Surveys, Commercial and Industrial Surveys or complete Engineering Design we are well staffed to provide the professional product you need. Each project will receive the personal service associated with working with a well-established family owned and operated business.

Joke of the month:
Question: Why did the bureaucrat cross the road?
Answer: Because they looked in the file and that’s what they did last year…

Last Word:
Why is it that when you transport something by car, it’s called a shipment, but when you send it by ship its called cargo.

Toll Free: 800-250-3451 Fax: 440-585-9801 or 9802

For additional information see www.mcsteen.com