RICHMOND, Va. — National 811 Day on Friday spreads awareness about the potential dangers of blindly digging into the ground.
Contacting Virginia 811 before you dig is vital for safety whether it's a homeowner with a shovel or a professional excavator using mechanized equipment, according to Brian Morehouse, manager of public awareness for Virginia 811.
“We want to make sure everybody out in the community knows to contact 811 before doing any type of excavation,” he explained. “That's for homeowners, contractors, anybody that may be putting in a driveway — one of the number one things that happen is people want to do it yourself and put that mailbox in and they forget to contact 811.”
Buried utilities are hit every few minutes in the U.S.
“Nobody wants to come home and not have electric, gas, water, sewer. But the big thing nowadays, everybody wants to have that internet,” Morehouse explained.
Before starting any digging project — regardless of size — he said it’s essential to contact Virginia 811 to submit a locate request.
You can do this online at VA811.com or by calling 811. Submitting a locate request is free.
“Many homeowners are often surprised to learn that seemingly simple projects such as landscaping, fencing, or mailbox installation can become dangerous and disruptive when they dig without knowing the location of underground utility lines, which may include electric, communications, natural gas, water, and sewer lines. Knowing where these lines are beforehand prevents injuries, property damage, and service outages,” according to a press release.
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