OUPS

I see "OUPS", like the one in the picture below, painted in various places, and I was curious to know what it means; a quick search led to more information than I expected.  OUPS stands for the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (also known as OH811).  They are responsible for ensuring that underground utilities are located before digging or excavating.  They use these various colors to identify what lies beneath.

• Red: Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables
• Yellow: Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
• Orange: Telecommunications, alarm or signal lines, phone, internet, and cable TV
• Blue: Potable (drinking) water
• Green: Sewers and drain lines
• White: Proposed excavation boundaries (painted by the contractor before calling 811)
• Pink: Temporary survey markings
• Purple: Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines

I had no idea that so many different things are run below our surfaces.

Ohio law requires callers to wait at least 48 hours (excluding weekends and legal holidays) after contacting OUPS/OH811 before digging. The contractor must check the OH811 system to ensure every notified utility company has either marked their lines or responded with "No Conflict."

https://oups.org