Carmel requiring telecommunication cables be buried at least 6 inches below ground

Anita Joshi kept hearing a common concern from constituents during her first months on the Carmel City Council: buried telecommunication lines kept inadvertently being cut.

It happened in a variety of ways, from landscapers mowing or aerating the lawn to hot ashes from a fire pit burning through the cable. A cut line usually meant no internet service, an annoyance in a best case scenario but a major problem for those running businesses from home.

After a bit of research Joshi learned that industry standards require the lines to be buried at a depth of 6 to 12 inches. So, she met with representatives from different telecommunications companies to discuss the issue, and they told her they were under the impression the lines were being buried at that depth, she said.

To address the continuing problem, Joshi sponsored an ordinance requiring the lines to be buried at least six inches below ground and creating a $250 penalty per occurrence for installers who don’t comply. The council unanimously approved the measure on first reading at its Aug. 5 meeting. The ordinance only applies to newly buried lines.

If a line is cut, Joshi recommends first reaching out to the telecommunications company.

“The most important thing is that the internet gets restored as quickly as possible,” she said. “But then, have the awareness (of the ordinance) so that when the installer comes back out to say, ‘This really needs to be done at that 6-inch depth.’ If it falls under the ordinance, take pictures, contact city engineering and make them aware that perhaps the ordinance was not followed.”

Joshi said the intent is to work with installers to alert them of the standard.

“The idea is to educate people, then give them the opportunity to fix and remedy the problem without creating a nuisance or expense for the homeowner,” she said. “If they refuse to comply, that’s where I think the fine would come in.”

If topography, soil composition or other conditions prevent a line from being buried at least 6 inches below ground, an installer must submit a written explanation to the consumer that identifies where the line is buried at a lesser depth.

The ordinance does not apply to telecommunication cables along public rights-of-way or private streets, within utility easements or property owned by a utility.