Safety advice everyone can dig: Make the 811 call

Don't go digging for trouble when undertaking projects

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Apr 06, 2021, 10:38 ET

ALLENTOWN, Pa., April 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Got a spring do-it-yourself project in the works? Planning to add a fence, mailbox or new landscaping on your property?

Make sure you don't go digging for trouble. Always make the free 811 call before starting any project that requires digging. It could save a life.

Calling 811 helps ensure that a crew will visit the work site to mark areas where underground utilities, including underground power lines, exist so that those doing the work will avoid contacting them.

Pennsylvania law requires an 811 call at least three business days before digging with any power equipment in Pennsylvania. Once the call is placed, a crew is sent out to survey the area and mark with spray paint, flags or other markers where underground utilities – power, water, sewer and gas lines and other utilities – are located.

When calling 811, be prepared to provide the following:

The county and municipality in which the planned dig is located.
The street name and address.
The nearest intersecting/cross street to the address.
Details of the dig site, including the area of the property where excavation will occur and what kind of work is being done.
When the project is scheduled to take place.
The name of the company doing the work (if applicable).

If you see digging going on in your neighborhood and believe the 811 call may not have been placed, make the call yourself to make sure everyone stays safe.

A recent survey by Common Ground Alliance (CGA), an association committed to raising public awareness about underground safety, showed nearly four in 10 homeowners planned to dig on their properties this year, but nearly half did not plan to call 811 before digging.

CGA says there were 532,000 instances of excavation-related damages to underground utilities in the U.S. in 2019. Costs associated with that damage were estimated at $30 million.

"We want to make sure everyone stays safe and avoids injury at sites wherever digging is taking place," said Mark Santayana, public safety manager for PPL Electric Utilities. "The best way to do that is to make that 811 call every time."

PPL Electric Utilities provides electric delivery service to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in Pennsylvania and ranks among the best utility companies in the country for customer service and reliability. PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer in the communities it serves. It is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL). For more information, visit www.pplelectric.com.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com.

Contact: For news media: Patrick Lester, 610-774-5997, [email protected]
PPL Electric Utilities

SOURCE PPL Corporation