April 16, 2021 10:20 a.m.

In honor of National Safe Digging Month, Oregon’s Public Utility Commission reminds Oregonians to call 811 at least two business days before digging to have underground utility lines marked to avoid life-threatening injuries and prevent damage to necessary services.

PUC Chair Megan Decker said with the continuation of the pandemic into 2021 and the return of nice weather, more people may be spending time doing yard-improvement projects. Decker said calling ahead is essential so that utility services are not interrupted, as well as to avoid costly repair bills.

A PUC release said the Oregon Utility Notification Center, who operates the free 811 one-call-center, notifies utility companies that they serve regarding the area of the planned project. Utility personnel then visit the project site to mark the approximate location of the underground lines, pipes and cables in the planned digging area at no cost to the homeowner.

The release said statistics show that the majority of line strikes occur during the warmer months when excavation and construction work is being done. In 2019, an estimated 453,766 line-strikes occurred nationwide, 22 percent of which were due to insufficient notice to the 811 service.

Call 811or visit https://digsafelyoregon.com to submit a locate request or to learn more about safe digging practices.