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Insights > Safety quick tip: Call before you dig
Safety quick tip: Call before you dig
04/08/2025
Do you have an outdoor project coming up that involves digging? Make sure you call 811 before you dig to have underground utility lines marked. Hitting buried utility lines can be dangerous, a major inconvenience and it can cost you a lot of money.
Remember, calling 811 is free and it's the law.
What happens after you call?
Within just a few days after your call, your local utility companies will visit your site and mark the location of any underground lines, free of charge. Each utility type is marked with a specific color:
- Red for electric
- Yellow for natural gas
- Orange for telecommunications
- Blue for water
- Green for sewage
The 811 campaign is operated by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), an association created to work with the utility industry to prevent damage to underground utility infrastructure and ensure public safety.
