‘Don’t dig for gardening, building a fence, installing a mailbox or the like until you call 811’- PCUD

ROCKY TOP, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)– In observance of National Safe Digging Month in April, PCUD (Powell-Clinch Utility District) today announced results from a recent national survey revealing that more than half (51%) of U.S. Homeowners plan to complete an outdoor do-it-yourself project that involves digging in the next year, but 26.9 million Americans do not plan to notify 811 ahead of their next project, putting themselves and their communities at risk by not contacting 811 before digging.

Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in serious injury or death, inconvenient service disruptions, and costly fines and repairs. Hitting underground gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines while digging can have a major impact on communities and businesses. Making a free request before digging online at tenn811.com or by calling 811 will help everyone who digs maintain essential utility service for their communities, while keeping themselves and their neighbors safe by reducing the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried utility lines.

“When residents don’t contact 811 a few days before digging, they put themselves and their neighbors at serious risk of injury and utility service interruptions,” said Darren Hatter, Training and Compliance Manager. “We found that 56% of homeowners were not planning to notify local utility companies of their digging project, yet 95% said they value their contractors calling 811 or submitting an online request. We want to emphasize the importance of contacting 811 for anyone who plans to dig, so they can safely avoid buried lines.”

When asked why homeowners aren’t planning to call 811, the top reasons are related to beliefs around shallow digging and unfamiliarity with the 811 notification process. Even small projects like planting a garden or installing a mailbox or post light require homeowners to contact 811 since many utilities are buried just a few inches below ground.

As part of National Safe Digging Month, PCUD encourages everyone to take the following steps when planning a digging project this spring:

● Always contact 811 a few days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.

● Plan ahead. Make a free 811 request on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.

● Confirm that all lines have been marked.

● Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.

● If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has contacted 811. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.

● Visit tenn811.com for complete information.

Everyone who contacts 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local 811 center that will take the caller’s information and communicate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 04/15/2024-6AM)

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