August 11 (8/11) Serves As Convenient Reminder For Pennsylvania Residents To Always Dial 8-1-1 Before Digging

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Aug 10, 2012, 08:00 ET

Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc. encourages residents to dial 8-1-1 three business days before digging to Know What's Below.

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa., Aug. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc. hopes this date on the calendar, 8/11, serves as a reminder for residents to dial 8-1-1 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. This comes on the heels of a recent report by the Common Ground Alliance, which determined that if you dial 8-1-1 in advance of an excavation project, there is a 99% chance that excavation will occur safely without damage to underground utility lines.

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When dialing 8-1-1 in Pennsylvania, homeowners and contractors are connected to Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc., the Commonwealth's one-call center. PA One Call will notify 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 colored 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 dialing 8-1-1. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects where the first step is dialing 8-1-1.

"On August 11and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to dial 8-1-1 before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line," said Bill Kiger, President and Executive Director for PA One Call. "More than 30% of damages to underground lines are a direct result of the excavator failing to dial 8-1-1 in advance of excavation."

Safe digging is no accident! Know What's Below. Dial 8-1-1 before you dig. Visit www.paonecall.org for more information about 8-1-1 and safe digging practices.

About Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc: PA One Call is the "Call Before You Dig" nonprofit that serves the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PA One Call began service to 6 underground facility members in 1972, and today serves more than 3,400 underground facility owner members and more than 100,000 contractors with 650,000 requests for notification and more than 6 million notifications per year. For more information, visit PA One Call on the web at www.paonecall.org.

About Common Ground Alliance (CGA): CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 1,400 individuals, organizations and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the leading organization in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at www.commongroundalliance.com.

SOURCE Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc.