Beneath America's cities and rural areas lies a complex network of pipelines, wires, conduits and cables. Some are buried only few feet - or less - below the surface. Hitting these lines can damage them, disrupting service, resulting in costly repairs and possibly fines and even endangering lives. A new, federally-mandated national "Call Before You Dig" number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects.
API supports National Safe Digging Month and encourages homeowners and professional excavators to take the following steps before any digging project:
- Always call 811 a few days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.
- Plan ahead. Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
- Confirm with your local one call center that all lines have been marked.
- Learn what the various colors of paint and flags represent at www.call811.com/faqs
- Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
- If a contractor has been hired, confirm that a call to 811 has been made. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.
Whether you are a homeowner or a professional excavator, one call to 811 gets your underground utility lines marked for FREE. Don't assume you know what's below. Protect yourself and those around you. Call 811 every time.
See http://www.call811.com for more information.
VIDEOS
Don't Ignore the Law video
5 Steps to Safer Digging Toolbox video