Before digging for your new fence, it’s vital to ensure that all underground utility facilities* are properly marked at the surface. Whether you’re a seasoned contractor or weekend do-it-yourself-er, risking damage** to an underground utility line while digging risks harm to yourself or those around you, disruption of service, and the potential for heavy fines and repair costs.
Due to the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act, it is now mandatory for any person digging underground to contact an official notification center no less than 48 hours before digging.
While there are numerous call centers across the country that can manage your project, “Call 811” is the most comprehensive and effective resource for anyone beginning a digging project. Simply dial 811 from anywhere in the country a few days prior to your digging project, and your call will be routed to your local One Call Center. Detail your digging project to the operator, and the proper local utility companies will be notified about your intent to dig. Within a few days, they will send a locator to mark the locations of your underground facilities, ensuring the prevention of possible damage. Visit dial811.com for more information.
Click here for more information on the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act passed in 1998.
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*A utility facility is defined as, but not limited to, a line, cable, pipeline system, conduit, or structure that is located partially or totally underground and that is used to produce, store, convey, transmit, or distribute telecommunications, electricity, gas, water, sewage, steam, or liquids such as petroleum, petroleum products, or hazardous liquids.
**Damage is defined as, but not limited to, (A) the defacing, scraping, displacement, penetration, destruction, or partial or complete severance of an underground facility or of any protective coating, housing, or other protective device of an underground facility; (B) the weakening of structural or lateral support of an underground facility; or (C) the failure to properly replace the backfill covering an underground facility.
