Aug. 11 (8/11) Serves As Convenient Reminder For Michigan Residents To Always Contact 811 Before Digging

MISS DIG 811 encourages people to place a free dig notice three days before digging to avoid damaging buried utilities.

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Aug 09, 2021, 08:30 ET

DETROIT, Aug. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aug. 11 is almost here, and MISS DIG 811 hopes the 8/11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked.

National Safe Digging Day (also known as 8/11 Day) is observed this year on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. MISS DIG 811 and a diverse committee of utility owners including DTE, Consumers Energy, and SEMCO celebrate National Safe Digging Day. This is a convenient way to remind professional excavators and do-it-yourselfers of the importance of always calling 811 before digging.

Contacting MISS DIG 811 is free of charge and has been available to professional excavators and do-it-yourselfers for over 50 years. The first step is to call 811, where homeowners and contractors are connected to the MISS DIG 811 Notification Center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Dig notices can also be made online at MISSDIG811.org. Then professional locators arrive at the digging site and mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint, or both within three business days. Excavators must then go online to MISSDIG811.org to ensure all utilities have been marked. The last step is to dig with care.

The MISS DIG 811 Notification Center anticipates it will process over one million dig notices in 2021, yet countless projects begin each day without the digging party requesting a dig notice. As a result, buried utilities are struck and damaged every few minutes.

Striking a single line can result in injuries, inconvenient outages and fines: 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.

"Not only is contacting MISS DIG 811 free and easy, it's also a legal requirement for anyone performing excavation work," said MISS DIG 811 CEO, Bruce Campbell. "Whether it's a large professional excavation site, or a simple backyard project, calling 811 or utilizing MISSDIG811.org will allow the utility providers in the area the opportunity to come out and mark the location of their underground lines."

For more information about MISS DIG 811 and safe digging practices visit MISSDIG811.org.

About MISS DIG 811
MISS DIG System, Inc. is a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation that operates as the Underground Utility Safety Notification System for the entire state. MISS DIG 811 has received over 21 million locate requests resulting in nearly 189 million transmissions since 1970.

MISS DIG 811 provides this free service to homeowners, excavators, municipalities and utility companies via their website MISSDIG811.org or by placing a toll-free call to 811 or 800-482-7171. MISS DIG 811 processes that locate request by contacting its over 1,700 members, who then come out and locate their facilities. The mission of MISS DIG System, Inc. is to safeguard the public, environment, property, and utility infrastructures and promote utility damage prevention through a quality, cost-effective process for its customers.

SOURCE MISS DIG 811