National 811 Day is August 11, 2022, and serves as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Given that summer is a peak time to work on home improvements, it’s timelier than ever that residents remember to dig safely.

Every few minutes, an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, inconvenient outages and fines. With more people staying home and relying on their utilities to work and communicate, inconvenient outages are important to avoid.

Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants contacting 811 by phone or online. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are just some examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting.

Contacting 811 before digging is the easiest way to avoid damaging buried utilities. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to the local one call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators then arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.

Visit www.call811.com for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.