Aug. 11 is almost here, and CCEC and North Carolina 811 hopes that the 8/11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked.

Every few minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. With many at home due to the pandemic, more people are continuing to catch up on excavation projects.

When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to North Carolina 811, the local one call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.

Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting.

The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches or digging in a location that has previously been marked, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.

Visit nc811.org for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.