Approximately 45 percent of American homeowners will put themselves and their communities at risk by failing to call 811 before digging, according to Colonial Pipeline Co.’s recent survey.
According to Call 811, homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked. However, every digging job requires a call — even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. The depth of utility lines varies, and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Digging without calling can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm you and those around you, and potentially result in fines and repair costs. Calling 811 before every digging job gets your underground utility lines marked for free and helps prevent undesired consequences. Whether you are planning to do work in your yard yourself or are hiring a professional, small digging means calling 811 before each job.
Homeowners can call 811 to have a professional locator mark the location of underground lines, pipes and cables with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas. The free 811 call should be made a few days before landscape projects that involve digging, installing a fence or mailbox, or building a deck, pond or patio so the approximate location of underground utilities can be marked and avoided.
How 811 works
Want to avoid spending a day in the dark? It’s as simple as 8-1-1. Call 811 from anywhere in the country a few days prior to digging, and your call will be routed to your local One Call Center. Tell the operator where you’re planning to dig and what type of work you will be doing. Then, your affected local utilities companies will be notified about your intent to dig. In a few days, they’ll send a locator to mark the approximate location of your underground lines, pipes and cables, so you’ll know what’s below and be able to dig safely.
Survey findings
The survey results, extrapolated to the full population of U.S. homeowners, indicate approximately 38.6 million people will dig this year without first having under-ground utility lines marked. This national public opinion survey of homeowners also found 79 percent of those who plan to dig believe something negative — such as a service interruption, bodily harm or financial ramifications — could occur if they were to dig without knowing the location of underground utilities.
An underground utility line is damaged once every six minutes nationwide because someone decided to dig without first calling 811, according to data collected by Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a national organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines and the safety of people who dig near them.
Colonial Pipeline and CGA’s 1,700 members recently recognized April as National Safe Digging Month as a way to bring extra attention to the issue of underground utility line safety. The companies, along with the U.S. DOT and most state governors, also aimed to reduce the risk of unnecessary infrastructure damage by bringing awareness to this issue. Colonial Pipeline encourages homeowners to take the following steps when planning a digging project this spring:
- 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.
- Confirm with 811 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 a call to 811 has been made. Don’t allow work to begin if underground lines have not been marked.
About the survey
SSRS, a full-service market and survey research firm, conducted a national omnibus phone study between Feb. 25 and March 1 on behalf of CGA. A total of 646 American homeowners ages 18 and older were asked for their opinions on home and property improvement project topics. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 3.86 percent.
For more information about the survey and Colonial Pipeline, visit www.colpipe.com or call (800) 275-3004. For more information about calling before you dig, visit www.call811.com.