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A man digging a hole with a shovel
A man digging a hole with a shovel
Allentown, Pa. — Every August 11 is National 811 Day, a time to remind everybody to call 811 on the phone before starting any project that involves digging.
Whether you're installing a deck, planting shrubs, building a fence, setting up a flag pole, or anything else that involves digging in the ground, always call 811 in advance to make sure that you're working safely.
Calling 811 is free and easy, and it could save both your life and huge amounts of money. When you call 811, a professional locator crew will visit the digging area and use paint, flags, and other markers to show where underground utilities are located, including power, water, sewer, and gas lines.
An 811 call should be placed at least three business days before the dig is planned. Requests can also be made at pa1call.org.
State law requires anyone who is planning to dig with power equipment to call 811.
The underground utility marks should stay intact for the entire duration of the digging project. If anything happens to the markings, call 811 again to have new markers placed.
“Ensuring the safety of our customers and employees is always our priority,” said Doug Haupt, public safety supervisor for PPL Electric Utilities. “Our customers have a variety of reasons to dig throughout the year and it’s vitally important that they call 811 as the first step to any digging project. It’s free, it’s convenient, it will help keep everyone safe. Plus, it’s the law.”
When you call 811, have this information on hand:
To ensure that the locators mark the correct area, mark the site of the project with white spray paint, chalk, or flags.
For more information about safe digging, visit pa1call.org.
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Originally published on northcentralpa.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
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