Utilities warn: Don’t dig until notifying 811

Aug. 11 — known as Safe Digging Day or National 811 Day — serves as an important reminder for residents and excavators across the country to call 811 two business days before they start any digging.

From installing a new mailbox to planting a tree or putting up a fence, digging without knowing what’s beneath the surface can cause harm and even be deadly, according to America’s investor-owned electric utilities, which say that utility services could be disrupted, leaving the digger responsible for expensive repairs and steep fines.

In fact, worst case scenarios include serious damages to property, injuries to people or even death.

Calling 811 alerts utilities to mark their underground equipment. All digging projects — from DIY tasks, such as landscaping or installing a mailbox, to larger projects requiring excavation equipment — require a call to 811.

This process, say officials, is the best way to prevent injuries to the public and contractors on excavation projects, while mitigating potential property damages and unnecessary utility outages due to striking an underground gas, electric, communications, water or sewer line.

“Safety is the number one priority, and regardless of what you plan to do, how deep you plan to dig or even if you’ve called before for a similar project, every job requires a call first to Arkansas 811,” said Ventrell Thompson, Entergy Arkansas vice president of customer service. “The depth of underground utility lines can vary, and the risk of striking a line exists even when digging only a few inches.”

According to the Common Ground Alliance, nearly 40 percent of homeowners planning to dig this year will put utility services at risk by not calling 811 before they get started.

Underground utilities, including electric lines, natural gas pipelines, telephone cables, and water lines, are located everywhere, including private property. And sometimes, they are just inches below the surface.

“Ensuring the safety of our customers and employees is always our priority,” said Doug Haupt, public safety supervisor for PPL Electric Utilities. “Our customers have a variety of reasons to dig throughout the year and it’s vitally important that they call 811 as the first step to any digging project. It’s free, it’s convenient, it will help keep everyone safe. 

“Plus, it’s the law,” Haupt said.

Tampa Electric, like many of its industry colleagues, has a team of locators who visit job sites and mark underground power lines around homes and businesses, but only if there’s a call to 811 to alert them. 

In 2021, Tampa Electric locators responded to more than 155,000 requests, a 3.5 percent increase over 2020, the company said.

And while most digging projects are preplanned and easily allow time to call 811 two business days before starting, some digging work may be unexpected, such as after severe weather.

Residents still should plan to call 811 before removing trees and tree stumps or resetting fences following a storm, according to the utilities.