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Today is August 11 -- 8/11 on the calendar -- which serves as a good reminder to call 811 before digging.
Verizon joins hundreds of companies and organizations in the U.S. that use this special date as a reminder of the importance of safe digging. By calling the free nationwide call-before-you-dig number – 811 – anyone who is digging can help prevent the unintentional strike of underground utility lines.
Every six minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. Utility services that your family depends on, such as high-speed Internet, landline telephone, electric, gas, water and sewer, are buried underground in many communities. Striking one of these lines can result in inconvenient outages for entire neighborhoods, harm to yourself or someone else and even repair costs.
No matter what type of project – installing a mailbox, putting in a fence, planting trees or shrubbery, building a patio or deck, or excavating a new garden area - be sure to call 811 several days prior to digging to have your site properly marked. After calling, a local one-call center representative will collect your information and notify the affected local utility companies of your intent to dig. A professional locator will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of all underground utility lines with paint, flags or both. Once your site has been marked, it’s safe to begin digging around the marked areas.
This article was contributed by Jill Behunin, who is on the communications team at Verizon.
