Whether a homeowner with a shovel or a professional excavator using mechanized equipment, contacting Virginia 811 before you dig is vital to safety.
And it’s often a surprise to homeowners that simple projects like landscaping, fencing or even installing a mailbox can be dangerous and disruptive when digging without knowing where underground utility lines such as electric, communications, natural gas, water and sewer lines are located. Knowing where these underground utility lines are before putting a shovel in the dirt helps prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient service outages.
Buried utilities are hit every few minutes in the U.S. Striking a single line can result in serious injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs. Before starting any digging projects, no matter how large or small, it’s important to contact Virginia 811 and submit a dig request online at VA811.com or call 811. Contacting Virginia 811 is free and easy.
If your plans involve outdoor DIY projects like planting shrubs and flowers, or installing fences and mailboxes, always remember to contact Virginia 811 to have buried utilities marked.
Thank you for helping keep Virginia safe!
For more information, go to https://va811.com/va811day/.