Allowing time for underground utilities to be marked before digging reduces injury and loss of services
Today, Aug. 11, is 811 Day and serves as a natural reminder for Florida residents and excavators to call 811, then wait two business days before digging, to have underground utilities marked. All projects that involve digging or excavation – from home improvement projects like pool installation, landscaping or fencing to larger excavation projects – require a call to 811. Calling 811 before digging isn’t just a good idea. It’s the law.
Why it matters
The underground network of utility wires, cables and pipelines is often closer to the surface than you think. Striking underground utility lines could cause natural gas, electric, water or communications and cable service outages, harmful injuries, and possibly result in fines and repair costs. Use of the free 811 service helps keep our communities safe and helps contractors and homeowners avoid paying for damages.
How it works
The person digging – either the homeowner or the contractor – is the person responsible for the call and ensuring the location of buried utility lines before beginning the project. One call to 811 or visit to Sunshine811.com makes it easy for utilities to dispatch locators.
Some tips to remember:
- Call 811 or visit comat least two full business days before digging and have the location(s) and description of your digging project.
- Sunshine 811 notifies affected utility companies, who then send their professional locator to mark the approximate area with underground infrastructure. There’s no cost for the service.
- Check the Sunshine 811 Positive Response link at comand, once all utilities have responded with “Marked” or “Cleared,” dig carefully within 24 inches of any marks in your project area. If using machinery, be sure to spot or soft dig – use a shovel around the area to cautiously verify if there’s a buried risk – before you begin.
- Even if you aren’t digging, leave any colored markers you find – paint or flags – in place. They are a sign of work that may be coming soon to your area by a utility or contractor.
What Peoples Gas is doing
Peoples Gas has a team of locators who visit job sites and mark natural gas lines around homes and businesses – but only if there's a call to 811.
The company also ensures its own team members follow safe digging practices, and Gas works closely with its primary contractors to ensure they also comply with safe digging guidelines and encourage continuous safety improvement.
Visit Sunshine811.com and PeoplesGas.com/811 for more information about safe digging.
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Peoples Gas System, Florida’s largest natural gas distribution utility, serves nearly 470,000 homes and businesses across the state. The company’s mission is to make life better for communities by delivering safe, resilient, efficient and affordable natural gas energy solutions. Through investments in people, technology, infrastructure and environmentally focused innovations, the company is committed to fueling Florida’s clean energy future responsibly and sustainably. Peoples Gas is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. To learn more about the benefits of natural gas for Florida, visit FloridasEnergy.com. Find more information about the company, its culture, career opportunities and community investments at PeoplesGas.com.
