Electronic White Lining (EWL)

Electronic White Lining (EWL) User Standards

EWL & Locate Request Accuracy

The Electronic White Line (EWL) should be created using satellite imagery within the Virginia 811 locate request software platform.

The EWL must be reviewed carefully prior to completing the locate request to ensure it covers a proposed area of excavation and/or demolition in its entirety.
The EWL area must correspond with the address and/or intersection entered on the locate request.
Any text-based descriptions of the excavation and/or demolition area must be reviewed and determined to align with the EWL depicted area and the notification polygon. Text-based descriptions will denote the area that the EWL polygon occupies, and the notification polygon must cover that area as described both in text and visually through EWL.
If the text-based description aligns with the EWL polygon, but the EWL polygon denotes a smaller excavation area, the EWL polygon will be considered the accurate depiction of the excavation area and will be the area to which locators respond.
If the text-based description aligns with the EWL polygon, but the EWL polygon denotes a larger excavation area, the user should correct the text-based description, or the locate request may be flagged as having a quality concern and delay excavation.
If the text-based description does not align with the EWL polygon and/or the notification polygon, the user should correct the text-based description, or the locate request may be flagged as having a quality concern and delay excavation.