With April serving as “Safe Digging” Month, it’s time to note that nearly 35 million Americans will pu themselves, their neighbors and their communities at risk in the next year by failing to have underground utility lines marked before major projects begin.
These failures in the very least lead to interrupted services, and at worst cause considerable property and personal damage.
At the top of seven important tips from both the Louisville Gas and Electric Company and the Kentucky Utilities Company: contact Kentucky 8-1-1 to have underground lines professionally marked. Property owners can submit locate requests online at Kentucky811.org, as well, and both phone and internet options are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Other tips include:
■ Following a locate request, wait at least two full business days before digging. This gives utility operators time to visit properties to mark their lines.
■ Know the meaning of each color. Using yard flags or paint, each color represents a specific type of utility service.
■ Once marked, dig around with care. Leave at least 24 inches on all sides of the underground utility line and its equipment markings.
■ Respect the law. State codes require all excavators, professionals and the general public alike, to have lines marked in advance before excavation work begins.
■ Consider full-grown dimensions of any planted trees and shrubs, including root depths. Excessive growth can damage foundations and underground structures, as well as overhead electric lines and poles.
Visit lge-ku.com/safety for more important safety tips, resources and information.
