811 Day reminds us to call before digging

RAPID CITY, S.D. – August 11 means 811 day is here, serving as a reminder to call before you dig.

When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to a singular call center which notifies local utility companies. Professional locators are then sent out to mark any underground lines free of charge.

Striking utility lines can cause great injury, outages, or high repair costs with any size of excavating project.

“Just as small as a bush or a tree or putting up a fence or a deck anytime you do any excavation or removing any dirt for any reason,” said Jamie Overby, Construction Supervisor for Montana-Dakota Utilities, Co.

Field Operations Coordinator, Marcus Christensen, says the cost to homeowners or businesses can rise quick when ignoring the call to check for lines.

“A lot of times, especially with homeowners, it happens on a Saturday or a Sunday and a lot of our guys are already off so they get called in on Saturday or Sunday type of pay so the bill can get pricey pretty quick depending on the damage,” said Christensen.

The depth of lines can vary due to previous projects or erosion. The only way to know it’s safe is to call 811.