Calling 811 Before You Dig
- Anna Hayford
- Apr 1, 2024
- 2 min read
PA ONE-CALL
Under the PA One Call Law, protection is provided to the public health and safety by preventing excavation or demolition work from damaging underground lines.
These may be used in providing electricity, communication, gas, propane, oil delivery, oil product delivery, sewage, water, or other service.
These services are vital to our communities and special precautions shall be taken to ensure they’re protected, along with the workers!
Call before you dig, before work begins!
Notification must be submitted 3-10 days BEFORE work begins. This does NOT include weekends and legal holidays.
Ex: Request is made Monday, the earliest work could begin is Thursday.
When making your request, be as detailed as possible. Provide a description of the project and the project footprint.
Having a Google Maps aerial image of your land handy can be very helpful.
Notify 811 of your project by:
Dialing 811
Dialing 800-242-1776, or
Using the online request form.
After calling 811, utility marking will be begin.
When a notice is made, 7-8 utilities operators are notified to ensure all buried utilities are located. When the request is granted by 811, utility companies will send out locators to mark buried lines with colored paint or flags.
Know your Colors
Utility companies use a color-coded system to mark underground utilities.
These colors will usually be your easiest indication of the buried line type.
3 Main Causes of Utility Damage:
Anything that delays a construction schedule may be met with criticism from project stakeholders.
For the protection of all, we must:
Ensure a strong dialogue with public works stakeholders
Expand damage prevention outreach to address the increase of construction activities
Enhance excavator/crews’ education around consistent and efficient use of 811
Tolerance Zones:
Operator Responsibility
The excavator operator must determine the PRECISE location by using safe and acceptable means, which typically means hand digging or vacuum excavation techniques.
In PA, powered equipment in the tolerance zone before the exact utility is found is highly discouraged. In other states, it is outlawed.
