Before You Dig !
The safest and only legal way to dig is to know what’s below ground before your shovel or equipment moves any dirt. Even small projects like planting a shrub require you to make advance arrangements to learn what’s buried below before you turn the earth, or pound in a fence post.
In 2007, a national three-digit number – 811 – went into effect to make the call simple to remember. When you call 811, you contact the “one-call center,” which arranges, at no cost to you, for utilities like IHWD or Xcel Energy, or Comcast, etc. to locate and mark buried utilities in your dig area. We will come out and locate IHWD water lines. Do you know where your septic lines and tank are located?
After you make the call:
- Mark the area where you’ll dig with white paint or flags
- Wait your state’s required time (normally up to three days) before digging to allow time for all utilities to locate their buried lines
- Respect the marks such as colored flags, paint or stakes that indicate where lines are buried
- Then dig with care and by hand is preferred, but never closer to the mark than allowed by your state.
