Planning to dig? Don’t make it a guessing game — call 811 to keep your summer projects drama-free.
Without calling the national DigAlert hotline, there is no way of knowing where exactly underground utility lines lie, which can result in accidents, property damage and costly repairs from striking a buried utility.
“It’s not an extra step to call before digging, it’s the first step,” said Scott Mitchell, Southern California Edison’s principal manager of Wildfire and Public Safety Risk. “Taking that important first step will save you from potential injury if you contact a utility line while digging.”
By dialing 811 or booking an online appointment with DigAlert at least two working days before digging, a professional will mark the underground utilities — electric, gas, communications, water and sewer — buried near your project area, free of charge.
Homeowners and contractors not notifying 811 before digging is the leading cause of underground utility damage, according to Common Ground Alliance. This has led to millions of unintentional strikes to the country’s more than 20 million miles of underground utilities, creating power outages and other utility service disruptions and safety hazards — including explosions and potentially fatal injuries.
From swimming pools and fences to irrigation and planting, spare yourself and neighbors from a potentially dangerous incident by calling 811 before digging — no matter the size or depth of the project. Utility lines can be buried anywhere, with electric lines potentially 24 inches below the surface. Erosion or roots may further shift their placements.
Digging Safety Tips:
- To prepare for the professional’s free markings, you or your contractor should outline the area where you plan to dig with white paint, stakes with white flags, or chalk.
- Consider moving the project’s location if it turns out that it is too close to utility line markings.
- Use hand tools when digging within 24 inches on each side of any marked utility lines.
- If the utility line is visible, dig in parallel with it and use all precautions when removing the soil from around the utility.
- If you hit a utility line or encounter any other electrical hazard, such as a downed wire, stay at least 100 feet away and call 911 immediately.
For more information, visit sce.com/safety.
