Before breaking ground oe digging projects, the Alabama Public Service Commission (APSC) urges homeowners to contact 811 at least two days prior to have utility lines marked.
“Every digging project begins with one important decision: contacting 811,” says President Cynthia Lee Almond. “Taking a few minutes to request utility line markings helps protect your family, your neighbors and the essential infrastructure our communities rely on. It’s one of the easiest ways to make any project safer before the first shovel ever hits the ground.”
Contacting 811 allows homeowners and contractors to connect to the state-wide one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators then arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
“Something as simple as landscape, installing a mailbox or doing any sort of home improvement work can have major consequences for you and your neighbor if you are not familiar with what lies beneath the ground,” Commissioner Chris V. Beeker III said. “Contacting 811 is a free and impactful resource for anyone to use. Having the “call before you dig” hotline is an asset, and we hope to encourage everyone to remember to utilize that when doing any small to large scale project.”
Factors such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces can cause utility line depth to vary. Marking utility lines properly can help prevent the risk of striking, even when only digging a few inches.
“Aug. 11 serves as a very important safety reminder we want everyone to take note of before starting their next backyard project,” Commissioner Jeremy H. Oden said. “The simple yet critical step of contacting 811 not only ensures the safety of the homeowner before they dig, but also helps avoid timely and costly repairs, inconvenience and outages.”
The mission of the Alabama Public Service Commission is to ensure a regulatory balance between regulated companies and consumers in order to provide consumers with safe, adequate and reliable services at rates that are equitable and economical.
