Shentel urges homeowners to call 811 before you dig
Posted 16 April 2013 12:00 AM by Shentel
Temperatures are rising, flowers are blooming and people are itching to work in their yards. Whether you are tilling a new garden, adding landscaping or doing some more ambitious outdoor projects, Shentel joins with other utilities in urging you to Call 811 Before You Dig.
Calling 811 first means that you will not hit buried cable lines that could cause outages, costly repairs and, in some cases, injury or death. Homeowners should call at least three working days (excluding weekends and legal holidays) before beginning any digging project.
Some examples of projects that would require a call to 811 include:
- Digging holes for fence posts or a mailbox
- Anchoring supports for decks or swings
- Removing tree roots
- Driving landscaping stakes into the ground
- Installing a retaining wall
In most states it is the law which requires utilities or their contractors to mark the approximate horizontal location of their underground utilities within 48 hours beginning at 7 AM the next working day after you call. So, if you plan to do work in your yard on Saturday, you should call no later than the Tuesday preceding that Saturday.
“Excavate” or “excavation” is defined as “any operation in which earth, rock or other material in the ground is moved, removed or otherwise displaced by means of any tools, equipment or explosives and includes, without limitation, grading, trenching, digging, ditching, dredging, drilling, augering, tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe plowing and driving, wrecking, razing, rendering, moving, or removing any structure or mass of material.
Homeowners are reminded to Dig with CARE
Call 8-1-1 before you dig.
Allow required time for marking.
Respect the marks.
Excavate carefully.
If you have any questions concerning work that you will be doing on your property, dial 811 and the helpful support staff will be able to assist you.
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