Call Before You Dig

Landscaping projects can involve some major digging – a terrace, retaining wall, drainage lines, even planting a large tree. Before you bring in the trenching or excavating equipment, do you know where all your utility and water lines are? Even a mattock or shovel can sever a cable.

To be on the safe side, public utilities are glad to come out and mark underground utilities. All it takes is one phone call to the North Carolina One Call Center at 811 within NC or 1-800-632-4949 if calling from elsewhere.

Before you call, be prepared with the following information:

• the name of your subdivision, if you are in one
• the nearest cross-street
• if there will be any blasting
• if you are within 1/4 mile of a railroad
• when the work will start
• what kind of work you are planning

Allow 48 hours for the utilities to be marked. Note that only the public utilities up to your meters will be marked. They will not locate your private septic lines or the water lines past the meter. Also be aware that the marking may not be exact and they don’t tell you the depth of the lines, so you will need to use caution close to the markings.

You can find more information on the NC One Call Center web page.