Introduction
Coordinating new sewer construction with existing Underground Utilities is a negotiation between design, risk, and logistics; developers who follow a disciplined checklist avoid costly relocations and schedule blowouts.
Pre-design due diligence
Start with records, SUE Level B or higher for congested zones, and soil borings. Know what exists and where it sits vertically. Fort Myers sites often combine aged records with modern services, so verification up front avoids surprises once excavation begins.
Confirm ownership and easements
Identify who owns each utility and confirm easement boundaries. Private services in front yards or mixed ownership corridors can create access and liability problems if not resolved in design. Secure written permissions as early as possible.
Avoid conflict in alignment
Design sewer alignments to avoid known utilities where feasible. Small shifts in horizontal alignment or grade can prevent complex relocations. When conflicts are unavoidable, evaluate trenchless options or planned temporary supports rather than wholesale relocations.
Specify verification and SUE requirements in contracts
Require SUE Level A verification at critical crossings and define acceptable confidence thresholds for as-built acceptance. Make vacuum excavation or hand-dig verification contract deliverables so contractors know the expectations before mobilizing.
Plan temporary services and outages
Where new sewer work requires temporary shutdowns of water, power, or communications, coordinate outage windows with utility owners and local stakeholders, and provide temporary services for critical customers. Clear plans reduce emergency calls and political heat.
Coordinate dewatering and discharge
Design dewatering plans that account for discharge routes, treatment needs, and permit requirements in Fort Myers. Avoid discharging turbid or contaminated water into storm drains or sensitive areas and model groundwater effects on adjacent utilities.
Sequence construction to reduce rework
Sequence work so that high-risk exposures are verified and protected before adjacent crews begin. Hand off verified loci with photographic documentation and updated as-builts at each major phase to prevent later crews from re-exposing the same areas.
Include restoration and landscape protection
Minimize the footprint of disturbance and plan restorations that return sites to pre-construction conditions or better. Protect tree root zones and irrigation networks during construction so the neighborhood restores quickly with minimal complaints.
Maintain a single source of truth
Use a common GIS or cloud folder where SUE data, as-builts, permits, and special instructions live. Insist that every update goes into that system the same day to avoid conflicting paper notes and to keep Fort Myers Underground Utilities information current for everyone involved.
Post-construction verification and handoff
Before final acceptance, complete a verified as-built package with depths, materials, photos, and updated GIS layers. Provide the municipality and affected utility owners with copies and require a short warranty period for correction of any discrepancies found later.
Conclusion
Developers who treat coordination as a project control discipline win on schedule and budget. Do the records work, enforce verification, sequence construction, and deliver clean as-builts. That checklist keeps new sewer lines from becoming a source of conflict with Fort Myers Underground Utilities and reduces long-term risk.
