Beautifying Your Yard? Don’t Just Dig In

Before you get ready to beautify your yard, McKenzie Electric Cooperative and Safe Electricity urge you to stay safe and prevent accidents by calling 811, the national digging hotline, or your state’s underground utility marking service.

Even if your project seems small, the impact of digging into an underground utility line could be huge. To help stay safe and prevent accidents, call before you dig to get underground utilities marked.

There’s a lot going on below the soil’s surface

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) estimates there are 200 million miles, or 100 billion feet, of underground utilities in the U.S; some are just a few inches below the ground.

“It doesn’t have to be a major project to require underground service marking. Even putting in a flowerbed or mailbox post requires knowing where utilities are located,” explains Erin Hollinshead, executive director of the Energy Education Council/Safe Electricity program. “The key to safe digging is planning ahead.”

Call ahead to get your utilities marked

Call 811 at least two to three business days before your planned digging date (notification-to-completion time varies from state to state). Even if an area has previously been located and marked, do it each time you plan to dig. Erosion, ground shifting and settling can move underground lines.

Once you have reported where you plan to dig and what type of work you will complete, the area will be surveyed and public utilities marked within two to three days. This service is free of charge.

If you have any private utilities, you will need to hire a private utility locator. Some examples of private utilities include an underground sprinkler system, invisible fences, data communication systems, private water systems, or gas or electric lines that serve a detached building, as well as any lines from the meter to your home.

Once all utilities are marked, respect the boundaries, and dig carefully. Keep at least 24 inches away from the utility line markings. It can be helpful to dig by hand when more control is needed to maintain this safe distance.

What to do if you hit a line

• If you hit a line in the process of digging, report it, even if it appears to be undamaged. Small dents and nicks can lead to major utility problems.
• Stop work immediately if contact is made with an underground line. Your first priority should be evacuating the area for safety. Call 911 to notify emergency personnel and the affected utility.

If you believe an electrical line was damaged, warn those nearby that the ground and any nearby equipment may be energized. Take precautions to prevent you or others from becoming electricity’s path to ground by remaining still with both feet together. If the area must be evacuated, keep your feet together and hop to safety as you leave the area. Do not resume work until the area has been confirmed safe by your electric utility.

Consider all utility equipment and anything touching it energized

Always treat exposed or damaged cables as they are live with energized power running through them and never go near them. Never remove anything from the ground that is in contact with the cable; it could be energized.

For more information about digging safety, contact McKenzie Electric Cooperative at 701-444-9288, visit SafeElectricity.org and Call811.com.