Spring is here and so is project season! April is National Safe Digging Month and we here at the district recognize the importance of contacting 811 before all outdoor digging projects.
Be sure to contact @Colorado811 at least 3 business days before any digging project, no matter how large or small. Hitting an underground utility line while digging can cause serious injuries, disrupt service to entire neighborhoods and potentially result in fines and repair costs.
What is 811?
811 is the national number designated by the Federal Communications Commission to help protect homeowners and professional excavators from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects – large and small.
Why Contact 811?
Every digging project requires contact to 811. 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.
When should I contact 811?
- Installing a mailbox
- Putting in a fence
- Planting trees or shrubbery
- Building a patio or deck
- Excavating a new garden area
These are a few common examples of when to contact 811. You or your contractor should call three business days before any digging project.
How does 811 work?
- Call or go online to www.colorado811.org/idig811/ at least three business days prior to digging to start the process of getting underground utility lines marked for free.
- When you contact 811 from anywhere in the state, a representative from Colorado 811 will answer your request. The Colorado 811 representative will ask you for the location and description of your digging job, and will notify affected utility companies, who will then send a professional locator to the proposed dig site to mark the approximate location of their lines within a few days of your request.
- Once all underground lines in the area have been marked, you can dig safely.
- Please visit www.colorado811.org for more information on how to stay safe while digging.
What happens if I don’t contact 811?
Every nine minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. Knowing approximately where underground utility lines are buried before each digging project helps to prevent these situations.
If you have any questions regarding a locate response from the district, contact our office at 303-979-2333.
