811 Day prompts reminder before digging
SUPERIOR, Wis. - Energy giant Enbridge issued a reminder this week to property owners that a safety call should be made before digging.
"Every three minutes, someone in the United States damages an underground utility line," Mark Willoughby, the Superior region general manager for Enbridge, said in a statement. "That should be an eye-popping statistic no matter who you are."
Saturday, Aug. 11, is considered the national "call before you dig" day, or 811 Day.
Anyone planning excavation should call 811 at least two business days in advance, Willoughby said.
The toll-free call helps avoid costly damages to utilities and could save lives, he said.
Calling 811 prompts professional locators to mark underground utilities and pipelines. Once the lines are marked, the excavator can see where all the underground utilities are located and can safely work around them, Willoughby said.
More information about 811 and safe excavation practices is available online at call811.com or enbridgeUS.com/811.