Potholing is a digging method performed using vacuum excavation technology.

Potholing consists in digging a small, exploratory hole along the path of underground construction, and its purpose it to get visual confirmation of underground obstructions and utilities that may interfere with the project.

This operation was not safe in the past, when constructors relied exclusively on manual digging tools and those bulky and heavy traditional excavators, because the risk of damaging buried utilities was very high. But the vacuum excavation technology is perfectly safe, considering that it is non-mechanical, therefore non-destructive. It consists in using high-pressured water to break the soil and remove it from the area by sucking it into a holding tank on the vacuum truck.

Potholing is also very precise compared to traditional digging methods, which is definitely a pro for contractors that need accurate data about the safe zones around underground lines or pipes, in order to be able to avoid them during their digging work. Typically, workers with potholing companies Denver area dig a simple pothole at first (8-12 inches in diameter), and then use a vacuum truck to dig straight down until they find the utility.

Without metal or other materials that may cut through utilities, hydrovac technology has made potholing easier and a lot safer for workers and the community in general.