In observance of National Safe Digging Month in April, Columbia Gas of Kentucky recently announced results from a recent national survey.
The results revealed that 19.5 million U.S. homeowners plan to dig this year for projects like gardening, building a fence or deck, installing a mailbox and more. Of those, nearly two in five (37 percent) will put themselves and their communities at risk by digging without contacting 811 beforehand to learn the approximate location of underground utilities.
Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in serious injuries, inconvenient service disruptions and costly repairs when gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines are damaged. Making a free call to 811 or contacting 811now.org at least two business days before digging will help homeowners maintain essential utility service for themselves and neighbors and keep communities safe, by reducing the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried utility lines.
The national public opinion survey of homeowners conducted in late February by the Common Ground Alliance, the national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them, and their communities, also revealed that one in five American homeowners (20 percent) have been more likely to do a DIY home improvement involving digging since the pandemic began – particularly gardening projects. The most popular planned projects cited among surveyed homeowners who plan to dig include:
● Planting a tree or shrub: 62 percent
● Building a fence: 37 percent
● Building a deck or patio: 32 percent
● Installing a mailbox: 20 percent
● Installing a pool: 6 percent
● Something else: 26 percent
As part of National Safe Digging Month, Columbia Gas of Kentucky encourages homeowners to Know Your Home and to
take the following steps when planning a digging project this spring:
● Always call 811 or contact 811now.org at least two business days before digging, regardless of the depth or
familiarity with the property.
● Plan ahead. Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the
approximate location of lines to be marked.
● Confirm that all lines have been marked.
● Once lines are marked, only hand dig within 18 inches on either side of the width of the utility line.
● Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
● If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has called 811. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines
aren’t marked.
● Visit kentucky811.org for complete info.
Those who call 811 at least two business days before digging are connected to a local one call notification center that will take the caller’s information and communicate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked area
