August 11 Reminds Pennsylvania Residents To Dial 8-1-1 Before Digging

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Aug 11, 2016, 08:11 ET

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa., Aug. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania 811 hopes this date on the calendar - Thursday, August 11 - will serve as a natural reminder for residents to dial 8-1-1 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. Every six minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first dialing 8-1-1.

April is National Safe Digging Month! Know What's Below. Call 811 in advance of any digging project such as installing a mailbox post, planting a tree, or installling a new fence or deck.

When dialing 8-1-1, homeowners and contractors are connected to Pennsylvania 811, 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 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 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 dial 8-1-1 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line," said Bill Kiger, President & CEO for Pennsylvania 811. "It really is the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area."

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.pa811.org or www.paonecall.org for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160330/349453-INFO

SOURCE Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc.