By LCEC Karen Ryan, APR, CPRC
April is the perfect time to plant and that usually means digging in your yard or around your business. LCEC encourages homeowners to call 811 two full business days before they begin to dig in their yard or around businesses. Failure to locate and mark underground utilities can result in a citation that often comes with a fine of approximately $500 plus court costs. Additionally, there is a risk of causing an inconvenient outage for everyone in the area. Nationwide, every three minutes, a utility line is damaged from someone digging in their yard, around their business or during excavation at a construction site. One-third of these incidents are caused by failure of the professional excavator or homeowner to call 811 before beginning their landscaping project.
We can all be good neighbors by calling 811 to be connected to Sunshine State One Call of Florida (SSOCOF). This organization will notify appropriate utility companies of your plan to dig. Utility locators will locate and mark any underground lines on the property with flags or spray paint. Once the lines are marked, digging can begin. However, LCEC cautions customers not to dig within 24-inches of the marks because underground utilities can be anywhere within that area.
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient utility outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, requires a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, putting in a fence, building a deck and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting.
Visit www.callsunshine.com for more information about 811 and the call-before-you-dig process.
SSOCOF is a private, not-for-profit, corporation created by Florida Legislature in 1993 with the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act, Chapter 556, Florida Statutes. It educates excavators and homeowners on the call-811-before-you-dig process and provides the free system used to notify utility owners of intended digging.