Prevent Injury and Financial Disaster 8-1-1 Call before you dig

Prevent a Landscaping Disaster – Call Before You Dig Georgia 8-1-1

A heart wrenching testimonial on the importance of using the service:

I would like to think that all of us have matured to the point where we can agree that Life Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Some of us have gotten there through morality and ethics while others simply through the fear of financial liability. What is amazing is how consideration of Life Safety Implications now touches nearly every decision concerning the management, maintenance, and improvement of your property. With that said, let’s have a talk about site work; whether it is major construction or a landscaper grinding a stump at your residence. With the agenda of both increased reliability and improved aesthetics the majority of our utility infrastructure is moving below ground.

Site drawings if they are even available are rarely accurate in denoting the exact location of conduits, pipelines, and the means to control the flow of whatever is within them. So what is a property owner to do? Trust in luck? Trust that a contractor’s insurance is up to date and comprehensive to additionally insure the property owner when an accident occurs? That’s a recipe for financial disaster.

There is a lifeline in place to help protect you or your contractors from finding underground utility infrastructure the hard way. It is the “Call Before You Dig” services mandated by the FCC across the country. Most states have adopted the not for profit program Call 8-1-1.

When performing work on your property of any sort even something as minor as planting a tree or installing a new mailbox post you are required to place a service call with 8-1-1 either over the phone or through the internet at least two business days in advance of the work. It’s recommended that you call a week in advance.

This gives all of the below ground utility companies the opportunity to mark the location of their equipment so you don’t find it for them. If the locating contractor fails to show up you are required to call again so they have one last chance to show up. Is this potentially aggravating, of course, is it likely that any utility equipment will not even be near your work area, of course.

But, consider the consequences if you fail to follow the steps and you do find something. Electrocution, municipal water flood, fire service water flood, cable TV outage, fiber optic internet outage, or worst of all a sewage flood. Ultimately, you, and all of your neighbors with out service or dealing with an injury, or reeking of sewage for a week, and glaring at you as they go by for the next few months. Is it worth the risk. Remember all those costs involved with excavating and restoring the services are now on you. Do you even remember your insurance liability limits of coverage? Is it $10K, $100K, a Million. Better to find out before you need it.

The service providers that do come out with typically mark there lines with colored marking paint. This fades quickly in the weather. Take photos and a video to help you remember locations as the ground is disturbed. You are not required to mark off your work area ahead of time. If you choose to do so, then mark it with WHITE marking paint of service flags that are sold at the hardware store.

Typically I do not mark. I don’t want the provider only marking my small work area. Personally I would rather have the reminder of where everything is… But then, I don’t care about having multicolored lines all over my front yard for two weeks. On one side of my yard, the front driveway is only a few feet from the property line. When I call, this small swale never seems to get marked. If the work was there, I WOULD choose to mark it off for the locator services. Attached is a color code chart of the different marking colors used in most areas.

Locating Contractor Service Marking Colors

When utilities are marked be sure to stay 18 inches from either side of the marked lines. This is called the “Tolerance” this safety buffer allows for any discrepancy in the results from the locating equipment.

You do not have to be present when the locating service unless you have to provide access. However being present does afford you the opportunity to ask questions.

For additional history on the creation of 8-1-1 service see the video below:

For the Georgia Law governing underground utility damage by property owners and contractors:

http://www.psc.state.ga.us/facilitiesprotect/ga_code_25-9.pdf