Virginia American Water Highlights 8-1-1 Day

Virginia American Water reminds customers on Aug. 11 to call 8-1-1 to have underground utility lines marked prior to any digging project

A Common Ground Alliance report determined that an underground utility line is damaged during digging projects every three minutes nationwide.
 
By calling 8-1-1 three days before digging, homeowners and contractors are connected to the “One Call” Virginia communications center. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
 
“On August 11 and throughout the year, Virginia American Water reminds customers and contractors to ‘dial before you dig’ and call 8-1-1 to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said William Walsh, president of Virginia American Water, in a statement.  “Striking a single power, gas, water or sewer line can result in injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages.”
 
Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to start up the free service, according to the water company. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are examples of digging projects that should prompt an 8-1-1 call.
 
The depth of utility lines varies for different reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces.