Utility Locator (Blue Stake Technician)

Job Description

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

·       Ticket Management: Receive, prioritize, and process high-volume Arizona 811 (Blue Stake) ticket requests using digital management platforms (e.g., Utilisphere, DigTrak) within strict statutory timelines.

·       Field Locating & Marking: Operate electromagnetic pipe and cable locators, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and signal generators to pinpoint underground electric, gas, water, telecommunications, sewer, and fiber-optic lines.

·       APWA Color Standards: Mark utilities accurately using paint, flags, or stakes following American Public Works Association (APWA) uniform color codes (Blue = Water, Yellow = Gas, Red = Electric, Orange = Telecom, Green = Sewer, Purple = Reclaimed Water).

·       Site Verification: Read and interpret utility prints, distribution maps, quarter-section maps, and GIS layers to resolve mismatched line configurations.

·       Documentation & Safety Compliance: Photograph completed locate setups, document non-conductive lines or discrepancies, and submit electronic field updates before excavation start times.

·       Stakeholder Communication: Coordinate directly with contractors, municipal inspectors, utility representatives, and property owners regarding locate parameters and tolerance zone rules (24 inches on either side of the facility).

Minimum Qualifications

·       Education: High school diploma or GED equivalent.

·       Driver's License: Valid Arizona Driver's License with a clean Motor Vehicle Record (MVR).

·       Technical Aptitude: Ability to read civil blueprints, tax maps, and satellite/GIS mapping systems.

·       Equipment Proficiency: Willingness to operate electromagnetic detection devices, signal transmitters, and field computing hardware.

Preferred Qualifications

·       Certifications: NULCA (National Utility Locating Contractors Association) certification or OSHA 10/30-Hour Construction Safety card.

·       Experience: 1+ years of experience in underground utility locating, directional drilling, civil field inspection, or Arizona 811 ticketing operations.

·       Local Knowledge: Familiarity with Southern Arizona soil conditions, utility owners (e.g., Tucson Water, TEP, Southwest Gas), and regional geography.

Physical & Working Conditions

·       Outdoor work subject to extreme Southern Arizona summer temperatures, direct sun exposure, and dusty desert terrain.

·       Physical requirement to walk, bend, kneel, drive, and carry equipment up to 50 lbs throughout an assigned geographic route.

Daily operation of a fleet vehicle in urban, suburban, and rural traffic environments.