Who owns the Public Utility Easement?
The property owner retains ownership of all the land, including that allocated for the utility easement. How are Public Utility Easements created? Easements may be written into the plat drawing at the time that a plat is created (for housing developments), or they may be separate agreements that are written by a utility and signed by the property owner. These easements may be for projects that are coming soon, or to accommodate future projects. Can I landscape within the easement area? Yes, but keep in mind that the easement area needs to be accessible to equipment like trucks and backhoes for installation and maintenance of the utilities. Any landscaping in the easement area needs to allow for access by this equipment. After underground equipment is installed, the grade within the easement area cannot be changed more than 6 inches for safety reasons. Will my landscaping be restored after the utility company has worked within the easement area? The utility will do basic restoration of
