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AUG. 11 Serves as Convenient Reminder for Residents to Always Call 811 Before Digging

Findlay, Ohio (August 3, 2010) – With Aug. 11 almost here, Marathon Pipe Line LLC (MPL) hopes this date on the calendar, 8/11, will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 before digging so that pipelines and underground utility lines can be marked.

This reminder follows a recent report by Common Ground Alliance, which determined an underground utility line is damaged during digging projects once every three minutes nationwide.

When calling 811, Mississippi homeowners and contractors are connected to Mississippi 811, the local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig.  Mississippi 811 requires a call at least two working days before the planned project start date. 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.

“On Aug. 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking a pipeline or an underground utility line,” John Swearingen, president of MPL, said. “Failure to call 811 before digging results in more than 60,000 digging incidents annually, and we do not want anyone’s project to become part of this statistic.”  

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

Visit www.call811.com or www.marathonpipeline.com  for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.