
(PCUD press release) This April is National Safe Digging Month, reminding STATE residents to always call 811 at least 3 business days before any digging project. National Safe Digging Month is formally recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and earned support from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who has signed a Proclamation declaring April 2021 Safe Digging Month in Tennessee.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to Tennessee 811, the local one call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, paint or both. Every six minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811.
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck and planting a tree or garden are all examples of digging projects that should only begin a few days after a call to 811.