811 Day
Posted on 08/10/2018
Rocky Mount Public Utilities (RMPU) hopes August 11 (8/11) will serve as a natural reminder to call 811. Prior to starting any digging project, residents should call 811 to have underground utility lines marked. Every hour, more than six damages to buried utilities occur because someone decided to dig without calling 811.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to NC811, the local one call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting.
“On Aug. 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Rich Worsinger, director of Energy Resources. “It really is the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area and where they are located.”
The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.
Visit www.call811.com or www.nc811.org for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.