TIFFIN, OH– Every six minutes, an underground utility line is damaged because someone made the mistake of digging without first calling 8-1-1. Aqua us using August 11 as a reminder to stay safe and follow the law by dialing 8-1-1 to have underground utilities marked at least two business days prior to digging. It’s a free and easy way to stay safe and avoid major inconveniences for you and your community.
“On August 11 and throughout the year, Aqua reminds both homeowners and professional contractors to Call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Aqua Ohio President Robert Davis. “It really is the only way to know which utility lines are buried in your area. A call to 811 is free, and it’s the law.” 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 8-1-1.
To prevent accidents,
state law requires people to have utilities marked prior do doing any digging including:
● Installing a fence, mailbox, yard sign, flag pole, or pole for a basketball hoop.
● Installing a deck, porch, patio, swimming pool, or garage.
● Installing a sprinkler system, pet perimeter fence, septic tank, leach bed, or sand mound.
● Planting trees or bushes.
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, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.
When making a free call to 8-1-1, homeowners and contractors are connected to the Ohio Utilities Protection Service which notifies the appropriate utility companies. Professional locators are then sent, free of charge, to the requested digging site within two business days. They will mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both. Digging should be avoided along the marked zone and extreme caution used if digging must be conducted within 18-inches of the lines. For more information about safe digging, please visit www.OHIO811.org
About Aqua Ohio
Aqua Ohio, is the state’s largest regulated water and wastewater utility, serving 500,000 people
in 19 counties. Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information or follow @MyAquaAmerica on
Facebook and Twitter.
CONTACT: Jeff La Rue
Communications Consultant
614.893.7635
[email protected]