The weather is warming up, and many people are starting outdoor projects. If your to-do list includes any projects involving digging or excavating, make sure to call 811 before you begin!

In Minnesota we see rain, sun, snow and back to sun all in one week, so when we have a patch of nice weather, people want to get outside and make the most of it. For a lot of people, that means checking off a few items from their to-do list in the yard.

Whether you are planning to put up a fence, installing a pool, planting a row of trees or putting in a new mailbox, you need to call and have the underground utility lines marked before you begin. According to Call811.com, “Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before you dig will help protect you from injury and prevent damages to utilities, service disruptions and potential fines and repair costs.” Not only will this simple measure prevent you from getting injured or accidentally hitting a line you didn’t know was there, it’s also the law that you must take this precaution. At least two days’ notice is required and there is no cost to you.

Whether you are working with a professional contractor, it is important to call and have the lines marked before you start any project that requires digging. If you have previously called and had lines marked before excavating, you still have to call before each new project because “erosion or root structure growth may shift the locations of your utility lines,” according to centerpointenergy.com.

You can take the traditional route and call 811, or you can go online and submit a ticket at GopherStateOneCall.org.

 

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