April 21, 2023 11:10 a.m.

With spring weather leading to residents tackling outdoor projects, Pacific Power is reminding customers to take one important safety step before hitting the dirt: dial 8-1-1 before doing any digging.

A release from the utility said homeowners who plan to dig this year for gardening and other home projects will put themselves and their communities at risk by not calling 811 beforehand to learn the approximate location of underground utilities.

Pacific Power’s Managing Director of Safety Jeremy Gee said, “Installing a fence post or planting a tree are among the many commonplace projects that should trigger a call to 8-1-1”, Gee said, “Those may seem like simple, harmless projects, but the hazards are very real. It you hit a buried electric line, it could be fatal”,

The Call Before You Dig line is a national toll-free number that puts customers in touch with a locating service that alerts local underground facility owners so they can mark the approximate location of their lines with paint or flags.

Those who cause a service outage in their neighborhood could potentially be responsible for the substantial repair costs.

To learn more about electrical safety or to order free electrical safety materials, go to: https://www.pacificpower.net/