On Mar 3, 10:36*am, Bill who putters wrote:
In article ,



*Frank wrote:
On 3/3/2010 12:38 PM, John wrote:
wrote:

All you have to do * BEFORE you dig * is call a single 3-digit phone
number: 811. When you call 811 from anywhere in the country, your call
will be routed to your local One Call Center. Local One Call Center
operators will ask you for the location of your digging job and route
your call to affected utility companies. Your utility companies will
then send a professional locator to your location to mark your lines
within a few days.

You need to do more research before you post. There is no such number in
our area.

Here says federal mandate:

http://www.call811.com/about-us/default.aspx

Wonder if you get arrested if you don't call first and just dig?

*I'd not be surprised that the call before you dig refers to digging
near underground gas lines.

* Bill

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

We periodically get peppered with those "Call before you dig" TV ads,
so I called our local utility company and was referred to the 811
number for a free locator service. Made arrangements for someone to
come locate and mark all of our utilities before we brought in
equipment to regrade the backyard to install a new patio, paths, and a
home greenhouse. A guesthouse/workshop is set behind the house and
we were concerned that our project could interfere with the
underground electrical lines. Told the customer service person exactly
what we were doing and where it was located.

Waited all day for their man to show up and when he finally appeared,
pointed out the area where we would be digging. He grunted at me and
headed for the street, about 250 feet from the backyard. For about
half an hour he occupied himself with his little gizmo, locating the
lines & planting little flags in the ground between the street and the
house. Then he announced that he was done.

"What about the backyard and the lines to the guesthouse - remember
that's where we're digging," I asked. "We are only required to locate
utilities between the street and the meter on the house. The rest is
your problem." No amount of pleasant pleas could convince this jerk
to take 5 minutes and track the underground line from the main house
electric meter to the guesthouse 20 feet away.

Complained to my utility company who said they were having chronic
"issues" with the 811 service provider. They contract with a national
locator service but evidently have little or no control over them.

Long and the short of it, the mandated program may a good concept, but
unless you're only digging in your front yard, it's a total waste of
time. Not knowing where the lines were made for a long, nervous
afternoon of cautious hand digging.

Nancy T