The date August 11, or 8/11, serves as an easy reminder for members to call 811 prior to any digging projects. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to the local one call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting. Every six minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811.
Don’t be a statistic – call 811 before your next digging project! Visit www.call811.com for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.