Know what's below. Call 811, the utilities' universal, nationwide One Call Center before you dig.
Summertime brings homeowners outside for DIY projects.
If you’re planning to install a fence or pool, plant trees, or do other projects that require digging, there’s one step you must take before you get started: Call 811 Before You Dig.
Chuck Muller of Indiana 811 informed us how easy it is to call 811, the national “Call Before You Dig” number, to locate your utility lines before you begin excavation. If you don’t, you could damage utility lines…and worse.
Why Call 811?
You may have heard stories about disastrous outcomes when homeowners or contractors dug into utility lines. Whole neighborhoods have gone without power, water, gas and other utilities for days. Injuries and deaths resulted. Responsible parties were levied hefty fines and charged for damages.
Nothing positive results from digging blindly and hitting underground utility pipes or cables–especially when it’s so easy to prevent accidents.
Muller said that it’s easy to avoid these devastating consequences. One call to 811 before you start digging will bring utility locators to your site. They mark your utility lines, and then you can move ahead with your project confidently.
Before 2000, there were 62 ‘call before you dig’ Call Centers located around the country. Each center had a different phone number. By establishing a nationwide 811 number, you can be routed directly to your local One Call Center. The nationwide number eliminated the confusion of so many phone numbers.
Now, even if you are on vacation in California, but plan an excavation project when you get home to Indiana, you can simply call 811 and reach your local One Call Center. Tell the operator when and where you want to dig. The necessary crews will be notified and within a few days your buried utility lines will be marked. Best of all, this service is completely free.
Phone lines are answered 24/7. The utility companies need a little bit of notice, but it usually doesn’t take long to get the crews to your site. It’s best to call 811 several days before you plan to begin your project. Marking the lines is normally done within 72 hours, not counting holidays and weekends, but turnaround time requirements may vary from state to state.
How the Utilities are Marked
When the underground utilities are located, each one will be marked with a colored flag. Flags are universally color coded like this:
- White = Premark site of your intended excavation
- Red = Electric Orange = Communications, such as phone or cable TV
- Blue = Drinkable Water
- Green = Sewer/Drainage
- Yellow = Gas/Petroleum Pipeline
Muller said that it is important to use care when digging near the marked utility lines. Y ou should only use hand or vacuum excavation tools when digging within two feet of the lines.
After being marked, the flags should be left in place until your project is completed.
It’s Your Responsibility To Call 811
Even if you hire a contractor to do your project, make sure they call 811before they begin digging. It’s your property, so it’s your responsibility. To avoid days without utilities, injury, expense and embarrassment, “know what’s below” and call 811 before you dig.
