LaGrange County REMC hopes National 8/11 Day on Aug. 11 will serve as a reminder to practice safe digging.

Striking a single utility line can result in costly damages and fines, outages, dangerous leaks, environmental damage, serious injury, and even death. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants contacting Indiana 811 beforehand. Digging projects require five important steps for getting utilities marked — plan the project, contact Indiana 811, wait for the marks, confirm the marks and finally, dig with care.

When visiting Indiana811.org or calling 811 by phone, homeowners and contractors are connected to Indiana 811, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with paint and/or flags.

“On Aug. 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and contractors alike to contact Indiana 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Mark Leu, LaGrange County REMC CEO. “It is the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area to avoid damaging vital utilities that communities rely on.”

The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. While a homeowner or professional may think they know where underground utilities are buried, the only way to know for sure is to contact 811, which is fast, easy, and free.

Visit Indiana811.org for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.