1Ø Single phase electric power
3Ø Three phase electric power
38-02 The most recent ASCE guidelines for the depiction of buried utilities (SUE). Usually referred to as ASCE 38-02.
50-cycle The frequency of electric power (50 hertz) generated in Europe, Africa, Asia, and most of the world, including Mexico and most of Central America.
60-cycle The frequency of electric power (60 hertz) generated In the United States, Canada, and South America.
811 The three digit phone number for being connected to the One Call system in the area where you are working.

A

A-B A-B Cables: Transcontinental communication cables installed in 1942. These are recognizable by wooden posts with pre-stamped metal markers.
ABS Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene: Plastic piping material typically used for heavy industrial use.
AC Asbestos Cement: Pipe made from cement and asbestos.
AC Alternating Current: Current that alters its direction at a given frequency. All electric power is delivered to the subscriber/customer as AC.
ACP Asbestos Cement Pipe: Same as AC
ACSR Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced – The standard aerial power cables of today, found on power pole lines around the world.
AEC Architecture – Engineering – Construction | An acronym used to represent the entire “hardhat” industry, including the Utility industry.
AML All Materials Locator: Utility locating device manufactured by Subsurface Instruments Inc. Uses ultra-high radio frequencies to detect the smooth-sided surface of buried utilities, specifically pipes.
AMP Amplifier: A common feature on coaxial Cable TV to boost the voltage. Can be ground-mounted or aerial.
AMPP Association for Materials Protection and Performance: A new international organization dealing with pipeline integrity and corrosion, including cathodic protection systems. NACE is now a part of the AMPP.
AMR Automatic Meter Reader: A small rubber encased electronic device that transmits a Bluetooth signal which can be read by a specially equipped truck passing down the street. Used for remote reading of water meters.
AOC Adverse Operating Conditions; A reference to any condition in the gas/petroleum industry when equipment is not functioning properly.
AP Access Pedestal or Access Point: A large telephone pedestal, typically with only cables but no services. Can be opened very wide for easy access inside.
ARV Air Release Valve in pressurized water systems.
ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers
ASW Aerial Service Wire: Aerial Single-Pair Phone service with a rigid outer sheath. See RSW.
AT Aerial Tape: Armored aerial telephone cable. Shown on the phone prints following the 4-letter code, such as: BKTA-AT.
ATMS Automated Traffic Management System: Statewide traffic system, which uses VMS boards, cameras, and other features. Some State DOTs refer to this as TMS, while a few of them call it Intelligent Traffic System (ITS).
AWG American Wire Gauge
AMP - Aerial AmplifierAMP - Aerial Amplifier
ARV - Air Release ValveARV - Air Release Valve

B

BC Buried Cable
BFC Buried Filled Cable: same as PIC telephone cable but with copper sheath instead of steel/aluminum. Rural Utility Services (RUS) use these.
BC Buried Cable
BFO Buried Fiber Optic
BJ Buried Joint: Two or more utilities in the same trench – same as JT.
BOC Back of Curb: the back side (towards the property) of the curb.
BOC Bell Operating Company: Any one of the original 22 divisions of the Bell Telephone System, though officially all one company. These were reorganized in the 1980’s into the 7 Regional Bell Operating Companies – RBOC’s, which were truly separate companies.
BOW Back of Walk: The back side (towards the property) of the sidewalk.
BSW Buried Service Wire: Buried Single-Pair Phone service with a rigid outer sheath. See RSW.
BT Buried Tape: Armored buried telephone cable. Shown on phone prints following the 4-letter code, such as BKTA-BT.

C

CADD Computer Assisted Design and Drafting: Almost all modern computer utility prints are CADD files.
CATV Cable Television: Originally CATV stood for Community Antenna Television, then Community Access Television, and eventually just Cable TV.
CCP Concrete Cylinder Pipe: A type of Concrete Pipe.
CCTV Closed Circuit Television: A TV system contained within a building, group of buildings, or any constricted area. CCTV is an ISP type of utility.
CDR Corridor: Project corridor.
CEV Controlled Environment Vault: An underground vault of electronic equipment, typically telephone DSL cabinets or fiber huts. The upper portion of a CEV can be electronically raised to allow personal access below.
CGA Common Ground Alliance: A consortium of federal, state, and private groups (mostly utility owners) involved in working to lower the number of utility damages.
CI Cast Iron: may also be written as CIP for Cast Iron Pipe.
CIC Cable in conduit
CIP Cast iron pipe
CL Centerline of the road: Centerline is the official center of the road in accordance with its survey stationing. It is not necessarily halfway between the curb lines.
CLMC Concrete Lined Metal Pipe: A type of Concrete Pipe.
CMC Cement Mortar Coated: A type of Concrete Pipe.
CML Cement Mortar Lined: A type of Concrete Pipe.
CMP Corrugated Metal Pipe
CO Central Office: Telephone building where a number of both phone and fiber cables come together. aka: Wire Center
CO Clean Out: An access point to a sanitary sewer lateral. This is a pipe rising from the sewer lateral to the ground surface with a removable cap or plug. It is used to access the sewer lateral to free blockages. A sewer cleanout is usually located just inside the property line.
COAX Coaxial Cable: Originally designed for high volume telephone communication in the 1930’s, but since the 1950’s used almost exclusively for Cable TV.
COND Conduit
COPP Copper: Common term for telephone cables, as is Twisted Pair Copper Cable.
CORE Core Cut or Core Saw: A circular saw used to cut through concrete. After the core is cut, then a vacuum truck is used to expose the buried utility.
CORP STOP Corporation Stop: The shut off valve that is placed at the connection of the service pipe to the distribution pipe.
CP Cathodic Protection: A method of preventing corrosion on buried utilities by the use of sacrificial anodes. The corroding current (electrolysis) is directed to the anodes by natural methods (GACP) or by additional electric current (ICCP).
CP Control Point: A survey marker, placed by a professional surveyor.
CPP Corrugated Plastic Pipe
CRW An obscure acronym for a Rural Service Wire. See RSW.
CSG Casing: Protective covering for a pipe or cable, usually made of steel. Casings are most commonly used for gas pipes.
CWD Creosote Wood Duct: Very old telephone duct run made of wood and treated with tar resin.
CEV - Controlled Environment Vault
CORE - Core Saw and Core Hole
CO - Small Town Central Office

D

DB Direct Buried: A cable which is not in a conduit or duct run.
DC Direct Current: Current that flows in only one direction. The type of current produced by batteries.
DE Dead End: The end of a utility line.
DI Drain Inlet or Drop Inlet: Storm sewer.
DI Ductile Iron Pipe
DIP Ductile Iron Pipe. See DI.
DIRT Damage Information Reporting Tool: An annual report by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) on the number of damaged utilities in the United States each year. Often called “The DIRT Report”.
DOT Department of Transportation: This can refer to the USDOT, or any of the 50 state DOTs, such as TxDOT for Texas Department of Transportation.
DQI Data Quality Index
DSL Digital Subscriber Line: Phone cables transmitting digital communications.
DSLAM The energized cabinet used in DSL telephone systems. DSLAMs are manufactured by different companies and in various designs such as CoolPed and USAM.

E

EM Electromagnetic
EMF Electromagnetic Field: The radiating field created by alternating current on a conductor. Pipe and Cable Locators run on batteries, but convert the DC to AC, and therefore produce EMF on buried utilities.
EMS Electronic Marker System: Trademark of the 3M Corporation. A type of RFID system.
EVP Emergency Vehicle Preemption: Traffic devices used to detect emergency vehicles (First Responders) and alter the lights for them accordingly.
EOI End Of Information: A common acronym used in SUE to indicate the end of a signal when using a pipe and cable locator. It is not necessarily the end of the utility line.

F

FDM Frequency Division Multiplexing: The technical term for the multiplexing process used in the T-1, T-2, and T-3 phone systems.
FH Fire Hydrant
FO Fiber Optics: Also written as FOC for Fiber Optic Cable.
F/O Fiber Optics: Same as FO.
FOC Front of Curb: The front side (towards the street) of the curb.
FOG Fiber Optic Ground (See OPGW)
FOW Front of Walk: The front side (towards the street) of the sidewalk.
FTTC Fiber to the Curb: Fiber that extends well into a neighborhood, but not all the way to the houses.
FTTH Fiber to the Home: Fiber optics from the CO to the house.
FTTP Fiber to the Premises: Fiber cable into a business.
FTTx Any communication system which utilizes fiber optic cables for at least part of its architecture.

G

GACP Galvanic Anode Cathodic Protection: A CP system which uses only sacrificial anodes made of magnesium or zinc, and which are attached to metal pipe and draw the current to ground.
GIS Global Information System or Geospatial Information System: Mapping information combined from various sources.
GLONASS The global navigational system operated by the Russian Federation. The American version is GPS.
GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System: Any of the satellite systems used in modern mapping, land or utility. The American system is GPS. The Russian system is GLONASS.
GPR Ground Penetrating radar: A nondestructive geophysical method that uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum to detect reflected signals from subsurface structures.
GPS Global Positioning System: The GPS system is owned by the U.S. government. The Russian Federation owns and operates the GLONASS system. Combined they constitute the Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS).
GRD Ground: May imply a specific electrical ground, or simply the earth as a ground.
GACP - Galvanic Anode Cathodic Protection
GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar

H

HD High Density: Usually refers to certain HD plastic pipes.
HDD Horizontal Directional Drilling: (Horizontal Boring or Trenchless Technology) A method of installing underground pipes, conduits and cables along a bore path with minimal impact on surrounding area.
HDPE High Density Polyethylene: Plastic Pipe
HFC Hybrid Fiber Coax: A cable TV system architecture that originates at the head end as fiber optic cable, then alters to coaxial cable at a node.
HH Handhole: Smaller version of a manhole.
HM Hazardous Material
HP High Pressure: A natural gas transmission line.
HP High-Profile
HVL Highly Volatile Liquid
Hz Hertz: Cycles per second in electromagnetic waves. Locate frequencies are measured in hertz and kilohertz.
HDD - Horizontal Directional Drilling Machine
HH - Handhole

I

ICCP Impressed Current Cathodic Protection: A CP system that applies electric current to buried metal pipes to push stray current towards a ground-well anode.
ID Inside Diameter: Pipe measurement
INT Intersect: A 3-way utility connection, most commonly used in reference to 3-way pipe connections.
INT Interconnect: A communication line between any two or more traffic cabinets at different intersections. Interconnects are usually a 6-pair or 12-pair phone service and produce the cascading green lights when driving down the street at the proper speed limit.
INVERT A measurement from a specific point at the ground surface down to the inside bottom (flow line) of a pipe.
ISAM A type of DSL cabinet used by AT&T.
ISP Inside Plant: Any utility line or functions inside a building.
ITS Intelligent Traffic Systems: A very broad term used in reference to any of the newer traffic systems, including many that are still under development. See ATMS.

J

J-BOX Junction Box: Electric feature that serves as a splice cabinet for primary power cables. Can be single phase or three phase.
JT Joint Trench (Same as BJ – Buried Joint)
J-BOX - Junction Box

K

kHz Kilohertz: One thousand hertz

L

L-CXR L-Carrier (L-System): A national coaxial cable system used from 1941 to 1972, but now obsolete.
LC Load Coil: Telephone cable signal booster used in POTS telephone systems. May be aboveground or belowground.
LG Light Guided: Early term for Fiber Optics – no longer in common use.
LMS Line Management System: Fiber Cable locating system with continuous conductive contact through the sheath of the cables. Tone can be applied at the Central Office, and is of very low frequency. This allows the fiber cable to be located out over many miles using only a receiver set to the same frequency.
LNG Liquefied Natural Gas
LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas
LT Loose Tube: A type of fiber optic cable with a loose outer jacket.
LC - Load Coil

M

mA Milliamperes: A measurement of amperage
MAG Magnetometer: An electronic instrument used for detecting the position of buried ferrous metal (iron/steel) objects such as mag nails, water valve lids, manhole lids, etc. Schonstedt is the most well know manufacturer of magnetometers.
Mag Nail A specially constructed nail, short or long, with an iron core and outer steel coating. They are pre-magnetized, and easily detectable with a magnetometer. Used by surveyors for land survey and SUE technicians for test hole indicators.
MAIN Main water or gas pipe: A very common reference to water or gas distribution pipes.
MAOP Maximum Allowable Operation Pressure
MATH Matheson pipe: Steel pipe used from about 1880 to about 1925.
MH Manhole: An underground confined space entry vault, commonly at least six feet deep or more, with a small entrance opening. A “confined space” is not necessarily a “permit required confined space.”
MON Monument Marker: A type of permanent survey marker, usually labeled as NAD 27 or NAD 83. The number indicates the year when the survey information was gathered: 1927 or 1983.
MOP Maximum Operating Pressure
MP Mechanical Protection: Armored telephone cable, shown on phone prints following the 4-letter code, such as BKTA-MP.
MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet: Federally required detailed information on any possible hazardous material.
MSHA Mining Safety and Hazards Administration
MTC Master Telecommunications Center: A newer name for a Cable TV Headend.
MTD Multiple Tile Duct: Telephone duct run (which may now also contain fiber cable) and is made of clay tile.
MTSO Mobile Telephone Switching Office: The central building in a cellular telephone network in each city.
MUTCD Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices: The book which illustrates the details of the nation standard for setting up traffic control..
MUX Multiplexer: Any cabinet for increasing the capacity of signal on a communication cable.
MAG - Magnetometer
MON - Monument Marker with Protective Lid

N

NAD North American Datum: Major North American surveys of 1927 and 1983.
NEC National Electrical Code
NID Network Interface Device: same as SNI
NIJ Network Interface Junction: same as SNI
NULCA National Utility Locating Contractors Association

O

OD Outside Diameter of a pipe
OFCP Optical Fiber Conductive Plenum: an armored fiber cable, but usually only placed in ISP areas.
OFCR Optical Fiber Conductive Riser: an armored fiber cable, but usually only placed in ISP areas.
OH Overhead Utility Cables
OHD Overhead Utility Cables
OMNI OMNI Marker: Brand name of one type of RFID marker.
OPGW Optical Ground Wire: A cable system that consists of a fiber optics cable inside of an aluminum transmission static wire. Also known as OPG and FOG for Fiber Optic Ground.
OQ Operator Qualification – A wide variety of federal safety training requirements found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), including those dealing with the utilities.
OSHA Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration
OSP Outside Plant: Any utility line, aerial or buried, that is outside of a building.
OPGW - Optical Groundwire

P

Passive In utility locating/designating, a detectable signal on a buried conductive utility originating from various sources, i.e.: Not applied by the locating transmitter.
P&C Pipe and Cable Locator: A two-piece electronic instrument used for locating buried utilities. The most commonly used instrument for utility tracing and mapping because it is the only instrument which can identify individual pipes and cables with high confidence when used properly.
PB Polybutylene: Plastic Pipe Material
PCCP Pressurized Concrete Cylindrical Pipe: A type of Concrete Pipe.
PCM Pipeline Current Mapping: An electronic system of detecting coating defects on buried metal pipes. This instrument is manufactured by SPX (Radiodetection) and uses a 150 watt transmitter operating at 4 Hz.
PE Polyethylene: Very common material for plastic pipe and outer cable jackets.
PE Principal Engineer: A civil engineer licensed in one or more states.
PED Pedestal: Any above ground utility box used as the connection (splice) point for utility cables. May be made of steel, plastic, fiberglass/resin, etc., and in various sizes.
PEX Cross-linked Polyethylene: Plastic piping material used in situations of extremely hot or cold temperatures.
PIC Polyethylene Insulated Cable or Plastic insulated Cable. All telephone cables produced since 1958 are PIC cables. Earlier cables are classified as either Lead Cables or Paper/Pulp Cables.
PILC Paper Insulated Lead Cable: A type of electric power cable with an outer sheath of lead and inner paper insulation (much like the older phone cables). These have not been installed since the 1950’s.
PIV Post Indicator Valve: A stand pipe feature which includes a visual indicator for whether or not the system is open.
PL Property Line: A point at which any private property meets another private property line, or a public right of way.
PLS Professional Land Surveyor: A surveyor who is professionally licensed in one or more states. In some states this profession is labeled as RPLS for Registered Professional Land Surveyor.
POLY Polymer Pipe: Any type of plastic pipe, such as ABS, PE, PVC, HDPE, etc. The word “plastic” dates back at least to the early 1800’s, and only means pliable/changeable.
PON Passive Optical Network: any communication system that uses fiber optic cable only, without any electric power supply being introduced in to the system between the CO or Head End and the destination point (residence or office building).
POTS Plain Old Telephone Service: Any phone service that is not utilizing either T-1 or DSL, and therefore not multiplexed, is a POTS line. All telephone service was POTS until 1963.
PP Polypropylene: Plastic Pipe Material
PP Power Pole: Pole that has electric power, but may have phone, fiber, or coaxial cables as well.
PPE Proper Protective Equipment. Usually includes a minimum of a safety vest and work boots. May include a number of other items.
PRV Pressure Release Valve: Used in many pressurized water system to allow for the release of excess water pressure. Also called a “blow-off”.
PSI Pounds per Square Inch (Pressure)
PUD Public Utilities Department: A common term for any municipality owned utility and the city, state, or county department that operates it.
PVC Polyvinyl Chloride: Plastic pipe material
PED - Pedestal Telephone
PIV - Post Indicator Valve

Q

QL Quality Level: A, B, C, or D: Used in Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE), to denote how the position of the utility line was determined.
QL-A SUE Designation: A utility feature or line that can be visually seen from a vertical position, such as the end of a pipe in a manhole, or a cable exposed in a vacuum test hole.
QL-B SUE Designation: A utility feature, pipe or cable that was designated electronically, such as with an pipe and cable locator, magnetometer, Ground Penetrating Radar, etc.
QL-C SUE Designation: A pipe or cable whose end points can be designated accurately, but the location of the pipe or cable in between is unknown. Commonly used in reference to the storm and sanitary pipes between manholes.
QL-D SUE Designation: A utility whose horizontal position is only estimated, based strictly on utility prints, hearsay, etc., but without confirmation.

R

RBOC Regional Bell Operation Companies: the official term used for the seven regional phone companies that were created when the Bell System was split up in the 1980’s.
RCCP Reinforced Concrete Cylinder Pipe: A type of Concrete Pipe.
RCP Reinforced Concrete Pipe: Concrete pipe reinforced with iron rebar. A type of Concrete Pipe..
RED Reducer Coupling: Pipe connection between two different sized pipes.
REG Regulator: Any feature used in pipe systems between two different pressure settings, including everything from service regulators at the gas meter, to large regulator stations.
RF Radio Frequency: A reference to high frequency, but extremely vague.  Technically Radio Frequency is everything from 30 kHz to 30,000 MHz
RFID Radio Frequency Identification: Any of the buried markers placed on utility lines for later location purposes. Brand names include EMS, OMNI, and UNI-MARKER. Often called “ball markers”.
ROW Right of Way (Public Right of Way): Any area that is a public owned thoroughfare, including street, sidewalk, and parkstrip areas.
RPTR Repeater: Telephone cable signal clarification feature.
RR Railroad
RSW Rural Service Wire: A rigid jacketed, usually single-pair, telephone service wires that have been used since the 1930s. See also: BSW, ASW, and CSW. Also commonly used as a tracer wire for non-conductive fiber optic.
RTU Remote Transmitter Unit: The actual on-site control box for a SCADA system.
RUS Rural Utility Services: An electric power or telco co-operative partially funded by the government and found only in very rural areas. The RUS system originated with the 1934 Rural Communications Act, and the 1934 Rural Electrification Act, also in 1934.
RCP - Reinforced Concrete Pipe
REG - Service Regulator
Regulator Station (City Gate)

S

SAI Serving Area Interface: The technical name for a Cross-Connect (X-box) in telephone systems.
SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition: The overall system for remotely monitoring and controlling/switching various utility features such as water tanks, sanitary sewer lift stations, gas regulator stations, petroleum refineries, even railroad track switches. RTUs are the on-site control box.
SCC Stress Corrosion Cracking
Scupper A vertical hole through a bridge deck for the purpose of deck drainage. A horizontal opening in the curb or barrier is also called a scupper.
SD Storm Drain
SL Street Lighting
SLIC Subscriber Line Interface Concentrator (SLIC Cabinet): A type of cabinet that alters Fiber Optic digital transmission to Telephone analog transmission. Fiber cable in and telephone out.
SNI Single Network Interface (Protector): The small enclosure on the side of a house or building where the telephone service wire enters the building. Also known as a NIJ (Network Interface Junction) or a NID (Network Interface Device).
SP Slurry System
SR State Road: Any road or highway under the state’s jurisdiction, instead of the cities or towns in which it is passes through. Example: SR 35 (State Road 35).
STM Steam Pipe
STL Steel
STLCS Steel Casing
SWR Sewer: Usually meaning sanitary sewer, but can also mean storm sewer.
SUE Subsurface Utility Engineering: Utility mapping project that is required to follow guidelines set by the American Society of Civil Engineers in ASCE 38-02, and the engineering firms which provide this service.
SUM Subsurface Utility Mapping: Any utility mapping project that is not required to follow SUE (ASCE 38-02) guidelines.
SNI - Single Network Interface
SUE - Subsurface Utility Engineering

T

T or TEE Tap: A 3-way utility connection, especially a pipe distribution connection to a service or lateral.
T-1 Transmission One: Telephone cable system that can carry 24 voice channels on a single phone pair service, or provide video/audio teleconferencing. The T1 system originated in 1963. Later versions are T-2 and T-3 systems.
TBC Top Back of Curb: A point at the top of the concrete, at the back side (towards the property) of the curb.
TCP Traffic Control Plan
TEL Telephone
TELCO Telephone Company: Communication company that provides telephone service on land lines to homes, typically on telephone cables, though it can be on fiber cables or coaxial.
TI Telecom Infrastructure
TF Transition Fitting (Transition Coupling): A pipe connector that is used between two different types of pipe material, such as between plastic and steel, or iron and AC.
TH Test Hole: A hole cut through asphalt, concrete, or dirt to expose a buried utility. Test Holes require the use of a vacuum truck, and are usually no more than 12 inches in diameter.
TMS Traffic Management System: same as ATMS.
TOC Traffic Operations Center: Center point building of a statewide ATMS traffic system. A TOC is typically in the capital city of the State or Provence.
Trunk Trunk Line: For most types of utilities “trunk line” is a common name for main/distribution line.
TS Traffic Signal
TV Television
TWRT Thin Walled Rocket Tubing: A metal alloy military surplus pipe material used by some gas operators following World War II. Extremely rare.
TX (Unknown): An antiquated metal alloy pipe material, formerly used in some natural gas systems, and possibly water systems. May also be called XT. Extremely rare.
TH - Test Hole in Asphalt

U

UG Underground: Commonly used on some utility prints (especially telephone) to denote a buried conduit that was empty at the time of its placement, but may now have a cable inside. Other utilities typically use UG to simply denote any buried utility line.
UJ Utility Junction: An electric splice enclosure for primary cables, more commonly known as a junction box, or J-box.
UM Unsoldered Mechanical: Armored telephone cables, shown on phone prints following the 4-letter code, such as BKTA-UM.
UNI Uni-Marker: A type of RFID marker.
UNK Unknown information
UPROW Utilities and Public Right of Way
URD Underground Residential Distribution: Any buried power distribution line in residential areas.
USAM Universal Service Access Multiplexer: A type of telephone DSL cabinet.
USAM-SSE USAM – Single Shelf Enclosure: A small DSL cabinet which can be attached to a utility pole.
USDOT United States Department of Transportation
UST Underground Storage Tank: This can be a gasoline tank at a gas station, an oil tank at a refinery, or an obsolete coal tank for residential heating.

V

VAC Vacuum Truck: A truck specially constructed to perform test holes on buried utilities, to clean out storm drain inlets, or to dig holes for utility pole placement. Some vacuum trucks use high pressure air, some use high pressure water, and some can use both.
VCP Vitrified Clay Pipe
VCT Vitrified Clay Tile: Same material as VCP but used for precast telephone duct runs.
VEG Vegetation Ditch: An open earth irrigation ditch.
VMS Variable Message Sign: Electronic Traffic Board, which may be a portable unit, or a large permanent sign on an interstate. Also known as Reader Boards. These are an integral part of the ATMS systems.
VRAD Video Ready Access Device: A type of fiber hut – fiber in and telephone out.
VAC - Vacuum Truck
VMS - Variable Message Sign (small)

W

WD Wood Pipe
WDM Wavelength Division Multiplexing: The technical term for the more advanced multiplexing process now used with OSP fiber optic cables, but can be found on some ISP fiber as well.
WI Wrought Iron: Hand pounded iron such as that performed by blacksmiths in the 19th century to make horseshoes and elaborate iron gates. The term “wrought iron” has however been used in reference to utility pipes for a very long time, but incorrectly.
WQI Water Quality Inlet: A device mounted inside of storm drain inlets to isolate oil and debris, and keep it from continuing on farther downstream in the system. These have been produced by many different companies and in many different configurations.
WR-STL Wrapped Steel Pipe: Steel pipe with a three-layer spiral wound tape.
WV Water Valve
WQI - Water Quality Inlet Inside Drain Inlet

X

X-BOX Cross Box or Cross-Connect: The crossover Point between feeder cables and distribution cables in telephone systems. More technically known as SAI (Service Area Interface). Cross Connects are used in all three types of phone systems: POTS, T1, and DSL.