Iowa residents need to call 811 before digging

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DES MOINES — Iowa One Call hopes that the Aug. 11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. With more people at home during pandemic restrictions, and summer a peak time to work on home improvement projects, it’s more timely than ever that residents remember to dig safely.

When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to Iowa One Call, the local one call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Requests can also be made online at www.iowaonecall.com. Professional locators then arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.

Every few minutes, an underground utility line is damaged in the United States because someone decided to dig without first contacting their state’s one call system. Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, inconvenient outages and fines. With more people staying home and relying on their utilities to work and communicate, inconvenient outages are important to avoid. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, requires all persons to contact Iowa One Call by phone or online at least 48 hours in advance, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are just some examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 (or visit www.iowaonecall.com) before starting.

“On Aug. 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to use the free Iowa One Call notification service before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Ben Booth, Public Relations/Communications Manager for Iowa One Call. “Especially at a time when we’re relying on important utilities to connect us and keep us safe at home, calling 811 or visiting www.iowaonecall.com is really the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area so that you dig safely.”

The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches or digging in a location that’s previously been marked, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.

Visit www.iowaonecall.com for more information on damage prevention and safe digging practices in Iowa.

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