Take a tip from Lady Catherine: Call 811 before you dig to get underground utility lines marked.
Aug. 11 is a reminder from Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas to contact 811 so you can complete your project safely – without disrupting electric, natural gas, water, sewer, phone or cable TV lines that may be buried underground.
The national 811 Call Before You Dig system was created so contractors, homeowners, business owners and anyone preparing for an excavation project can get lines marked. Call 811 at least three business days before digging begins. The utilities will send a crew to mark underground lines in the area with stakes, flags or paint.
Lady Catherine asks: Where to bury this bone? The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, including erosion, previous projects and uneven surfaces. Even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking a utility line exists.
Ready to start digging. But first, we need to call 811 to have our utility lines marked. Call before installing septic tanks and sewer lines, swimming pools, wells, sprinkler systems and water lines, basketball goal posts, mailbox posts, fence and deck posts, trees and shrubs.
Thanks for locating the lines. Always dig around the markers – not on them. Dig by hand within 30 inches of the markers, depending on the requirements in your state. Excavation equipment can damage underground lines.
We did it. We’re dig heroes!