April is National Safe Digging Month

April is National Safe Digging Month and Easton Utilities reminds contractors and homeowners to call 811, which begins the process of marking underground utility lines. “This free resource is the only way to know which utilities are buried in your area and can help homeowners, farmers, and professional contractors eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,” stated Andrew Ober, Safety Specialist for Easton Utilities. To prevent injuries, property damage and outages, residents must call 811 approximately 48 – 72 hours prior to work beginning.

The is a free service that notifies affected utilities of a person’s intent to dig. Within a few days, Easton Utilities will mark the locations of the utility-owned lines with paint or flags. The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. Call before you dig. It’s the law.