DIGS Hydrovac supports contractors, utilities, and municipalities with reliable potholing services across Alberta. If your project requires safe verification of underground utilities, our team is ready to assist.

A utility truck with a large vacuum hose at a construction site in snowy weather, with footprints in the snow and a clear blue sky.

Potholing Services

Potholing is a controlled excavation method used to create small, targeted holes that expose underground utilities for visual confirmation. It is commonly performed before construction or excavation work begins to verify the exact location and depth of buried infrastructure.

DIGS Hydrovac provides professional potholing services across Alberta using non destructive hydrovac excavation. Our crews use pressurized water and vacuum removal to safely uncover utilities without damaging them.

Potholing is widely used to expose gas lines, electrical conduits, fiber optics, water services, and sewer lines where precise information is required.

  • The main purpose of potholing is to confirm utility location before ground disturbance. Surface markings and records are helpful but may not always be exact.

    Potholing provides visual confirmation that allows project teams to plan work safely and avoid accidental utility strikes. This supports safer excavation and more accurate project planning.

  • Potholing is often required before trenching, directional drilling, piling, or major excavation. It is also used in design verification and pre construction planning.

    Many contractors and project owners include potholing as part of their risk management approach when working near existing utilities.

    In areas with congested underground infrastructure, potholing is a practical step to reduce uncertainty.

  • Hydrovac potholing is safer than mechanical digging because it allows controlled soil removal around buried services. This greatly reduces the chance of damaging utilities.

    The process creates small, clean excavations that are easier to restore. It also allows crews to gather accurate information with minimal disruption to the site.

    For project managers, potholing can help prevent costly delays and repairs caused by unexpected utility conflicts.