Practice safe digging and prevent damage by calling 811
Knoxville, TN – August 11 is National 811 Day, which promotes the importance of safe digging. Safe digging practices should be followed year-round by everyone, from homeowners to professional excavators. Calling 811 is a safe practice and is required by law in Tennessee.
Tennessee State Law requires anyone preparing to dig, excavate, demolish property, or conduct any activity that could damage underground utility lines to notify Tennessee One Call (811) of their intent to dig at least three business days, but no more than 10 business days, before the work begins. Tennessee One Call will notify KUB and other member companies about the proposed work and the existing utilities at the digging site, which will be marked with paint or flags, so customers know where to safely dig. KUB reports that they receive anywhere from seven to 10 calls per week from customers reporting a “dig-in”, which is when someone hits an underground line while digging. Dig-ins are dangerous to excavators, the public, and KUB responders, and should be prevented by calling 811. Calling 811 is required no matter the project size, and the service is free of charge.
KUB also wants to remind excavators of the following safe digging messages:
- Damage to underground utility lines can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, cause injury or death to the excavator, and result in fines and repair costs. The depths of utility lines vary, and multiple lines may exist in the same area.
- Excavators should always use extreme caution when they dig and avoid digging within the utility safe zone. The safety zone is a strip of land extending two feet on either side of the utility plus the width of the utility.
- Customer-owned service lines such as underground electrical, water, and wastewater are not mapped and therefore may not be marked. Natural gas service lines are owned by KUB and will be marked.
- Other customer-owned buried lines that are not marked include lines for outside lighting, invisible fencing, irrigation systems, and customer fuel lines.
For more information about safe digging, visit www.tenn811.com or KUB’s website at www.kub.org/safety. Report any damage to a KUB utility line immediately by calling (865) 524-2911.
