A BYDA (Before You Dig Australia) enquiry is standard practice before any byda pool removal excavation, and responses typically come back within two business days at no cost to the requester; the results show approximate service locations, not exact positions, so physical potholing may still be needed close to known utilities. This check is part of responsible site preparation alongside your pool removal council approval.
Quick answer (BLUF)
BYDA checks are free, take roughly two business days, and should be lodged before any pool removal job involving excavation. The response from Before You Dig Australia maps which services run near your pool and which asset owners you may need to contact further. Physical potholing to confirm exact service positions remains necessary near identified utilities. Striking an unmarked service creates a safety emergency and potentially significant liability.
What BYDA actually checks
When you lodge a BYDA enquiry online at byda.com.au, you draw a polygon over your site on a map and submit a description of the planned work. The system forwards your enquiry to every registered asset owner (utility providers, councils, telecommunications companies) that has infrastructure in or near that area.
Each asset owner responds with their own plan showing the approximate location of their underground services. You may receive responses from:
- Hunter Water (water mains and sewer)
- Endeavour Energy or AusNet (electricity cables)
- Jemena (gas mains)
- Telstra, NBN Co, and private telecommunications providers
- Local council (stormwater, footpaths, and drainage assets)
The responses are provided in PDF or CAD format and show approximate centrelines or corridors for each service. They come with a standard disclaimer: locations are indicative, not guaranteed, and can vary from the plan by a metre or more, particularly in older suburbs where records are incomplete or where services have been diverted over time.
Pool removal in inner Newcastle suburbs, parts of Lake Macquarie, and older residential areas is particularly likely to return complex BYDA responses, given the age of the infrastructure. See the pool removal permits checklist for how BYDA fits into the broader pre-start documentation sequence.
The lodge-to-response timeline
The standard BYDA process for a residential excavation works as follows:
| Step | Who | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Lodge online enquiry at byda.com.au | Owner or contractor | 10-15 minutes to complete |
| System distributes to asset owners | BYDA platform | Immediate |
| Registered asset owners respond | Each utility | 2 business days (standard) |
| Compile responses and review plans | Contractor | 1-2 hours |
| Potholing if required | Contractor | Additional 0.5-2 days |
In practice, most routine residential BYDA enquiries receive all responses within 2 business days. Occasionally an asset owner has a backlog or a complex response that takes longer. Your contractor should lodge BYDA well in advance of the scheduled start, not the day before.
BYDA responses are valid for 28 days from the date of issue. If your project is delayed (by weather, council approval, or contractor scheduling), a fresh enquiry may be needed. Factor this into the overall timeline when using the how long does pool removal take guide.
Who is responsible for the check
For residential pool removal, it is good industry practice for the contractor to lodge the BYDA enquiry as part of their pre-start due diligence. However, the legal responsibility for safe excavation ultimately rests with whoever is carrying out the work.
If you engage a contractor and they have not lodged BYDA before arriving to dig, ask them about it before work starts. A SafeWork NSW codes of practice covering excavation work establishes that a reasonable standard of care includes checking for services before breaking ground, whether or not a formal BYDA response has been received.
For pool excavation and backfill specifically, BYDA is particularly important because:
- Pool plumbing may have been installed at non-standard depths
- Electrical conduits for pool lighting often run through unfamiliar routes under paving
- Old pool construction records may not reflect subsequent extensions or service additions
The pool plumbing and electrical decommissioning guide explains which services must be disconnected by licensed trades before demolition begins. Confirm with your contractor that disconnection is complete before any excavation starts.
What happens if a service is hit
Striking an underground service is a serious safety event and a potential liability issue. The likely outcomes depend on the service type:
Electricity cable: the most dangerous strike. Can cause electrocution of the excavator operator, a ground fault, or fire. The area must be immediately evacuated, and the network provider (Endeavour Energy in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area) must be contacted. Do not attempt to handle the cable. Stay well clear until the network operator confirms power is isolated.
Gas main: a gas strike typically results in an immediate smell and potentially a plume of escaping gas. Shut off all ignition sources, evacuate the area, call 000 and the gas network operator (Jemena). Do not attempt repairs.
Water main: a burst main will flood the excavation quickly. Contact Hunter Water immediately. The damage is usually property-level rather than life-threatening, but the resulting ground movement can destabilise the excavation.
Telecommunications: a severed cable causes service interruption. Not a safety emergency, but the asset owner must be notified and repair costs can be substantial.
In every case, stop work immediately, protect the site, and contact the relevant asset owner. A properly lodged BYDA enquiry with responses on file demonstrates you took reasonable steps; proceeding without a BYDA check significantly weakens your position in any liability discussion.
For the full sequence of what happens on site before and during demolition, see what happens on pool demolition day and how to prepare your property for pool removal day.
Our pool excavation and backfill service and full pool removal service include BYDA lodgement as a standard pre-start step. Contact us to start the process.
FAQs
Is BYDA legally required before pool removal?
BYDA is not always prescribed by statute for every residential excavation, but it is considered a standard of care under safe excavation practice. SafeWork NSW codes of practice and the duty of care under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) make it effectively non-negotiable for any contractor who takes reasonable precautions. In practice, no professional pool removal contractor should excavate without a current BYDA response.
How much does a BYDA enquiry cost?
The BYDA enquiry system at byda.com.au is free to use. There is no charge to lodge an enquiry or receive responses. The only cost arises if physical potholing is required to confirm exact service locations, which is arranged and priced separately.
Can I lodge BYDA myself as the property owner?
Yes. Any person can lodge a BYDA enquiry online by creating a free account at byda.com.au. In practice, most contractors lodge BYDA as part of their standard pre-start process and share the responses with the client. If your contractor has not lodged BYDA and is due to start soon, ask them directly.
What is potholing and when is it needed?
Potholing is the process of carefully hand-digging small test holes (potholes) to physically expose and confirm the exact position and depth of a utility. It is required when a BYDA response shows a service running close to the planned demolition or fill zone and the approximate corridor provided by the asset owner is not precise enough to confirm safe clearance. Potholing adds cost and time but is far preferable to a utility strike.
What if my pool was installed after the neighbourhood infrastructure maps were last updated?
The pool’s own plumbing and electrical services would have been installed by a licenced plumber and electrician and may not always appear on BYDA responses (as they are private services, not public utility infrastructure). This is why the pool plumbing and electrical decommissioning step must happen before any excavation, regardless of BYDA responses.