In utility marking, what does the color orange indicate?

In utility marking, what does the color orange indicate?

• A. Electrical Lines
• B. Communications, phones
• C. Gas, oil, petroleum
• D. Water, irrigation, slurry lines

Answer: (B)

Orange marks indicate communications infrastructure, such as telephone lines and fiber optic cables. This color is part of the standard underground utility color code (often the APWA system), which helps crews quickly recognize what type of utility is buried. By seeing orange, you know the lines are for communications rather than for electricity, water, or gas, so you plan digs around telecom conduits and verify locations before trenching. For reference, electrical lines are red, water lines are blue, gas lines are yellow, sewer lines are green, and irrigation/reclaimed water is typically purple.

Orange marks indicate communications infrastructure, such as telephone lines and fiber optic cables. This color is part of the standard underground utility color code (often the APWA system), which helps crews quickly recognize what type of utility is buried. By seeing orange, you know the lines are for communications rather than for electricity, water, or gas, so you plan digs around telecom conduits and verify locations before trenching. For reference, electrical lines are red, water lines are blue, gas lines are yellow, sewer lines are green, and irrigation/reclaimed water is typically purple.