For the past 16 years, April has been known as National Safe Digging Month. Columbia Gas of Maryland encourages customers and contractors to always contact 811 at least three business days prior to starting any digging project throughout the year. Contacting 811 will ensure the dig site is marked with paint or flags where the approximate underground public utility lines are located, preventing damage to essential underground utilities and keeping communities safe.
“A recent national survey revealed that more than 50% of homeowners in the U.S. plan to dig without notifying 811 first -- a risky move that can result in serious injuries, inconvenient service disruptions and costly repairs when natural gas and other utility lines are damaged,” said Columbia Gas of Maryland President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Kempic. “It takes just a few minutes to contact 811 and submit a request by phone or online to have underground lines located before starting a digging project. It’s free, and it’s the law.”
Making a free locate request online at MissUtility.net or by calling 811 at least three business days before digging will help maintain essential utility services and keep excavators and their communities safe by reducing the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried lines.
After a homeowner or contractor contacts 811, professional locators will mark the approximate locations of underground lines with colored flags, spray paint or both. Each color of paint and/or flag indicates which type of utility is underground and where to avoid digging. The flags may be removed once the project is fully complete. For more information and to see the complete color code guide, visit ColumbiaGasMD.com/811.
Regardless of whether you’re installing a fence, planting a tree, or performing any other outdoor digging project, you should always take the following steps first:
- Always call 811 or submit a request online at MissUtility.net at least three business days before digging, regardless of the depth or your familiarity with the property.
- Plan ahead. Miss Utility is always open—24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
- Confirm all lines have been marked once three business days have passed.
- Once lines are marked, only hand dig within 18 inches on either side of the width of the utility line.
- Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
- If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has contacted 811. Don't allow work to begin if the lines aren't marked.
Visit MissUtility.net or ColumbiaGasMD.com/811 for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.
