August 11 serves as reminder for Nevadans to call 811 or place online requests before digging
CARSON CITY — With August 11 this Thursday, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada hopes that the 8/11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 to have underground utility lines marked prior to any digging project.
Nevada residents should call the statewide 811 hotline (“Call Before You Dig” program) or place online requests through www.811express.com two working days before beginning excavation projects.
Every few minutes in the United States an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. In Nevada, about one underground gas line is damaged every day. Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines, and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, requires a call to 811 to avoid inconvenient outages. With summer being a peak time to work on home improvement projects, it’s timelier than ever that residents remember to dig safely.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to USA North, Nevada’s 811 call center. USA North notifies the appropriate utility companies of the homeowner’s or contractor’s intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, paint, or both.
“On Aug. 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to use the free 811 service before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line. Contacting 811 is really the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area so that you dig safely,” said Neil Pascual, PUCN Senior Gas Pipeline Engineer.
The depth of utility lines can vary for several reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists even when digging only a few inches or digging in a location that’s previously been marked.
According to Pascual, when natural gas pipelines have been damaged and natural gas is escaping, the following steps are the most important to take:
— Immediately cease work;
— Evacuate the impacted area to minimize the hazard presented by the damaged pipeline;
— Telephone emergency 911 services from a safe area; and
— Contact the utility operator
Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 455.140 and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 455.160 require excavators to follow the steps outlined above and not attempt to operate any valve or other device owned by a utility.
For more information about safe digging procedures, visit www.call811.com, www.usanorth811.org, or puc.nv.gov