TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly issued a proclamation declaring the month of April as Kansas Safe Digging Month. The proclamation, in concurrence with National Safe Digging Month, reminds Kansans to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects, large or small.
The Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas 811, Kansas utilities, and Governor Kelly are encouraging excavators and homeowners to call 811 to have utility lines marked before they begin digging projects to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient outages. The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple lines in a common area. Some utility lines are buried only a few inches below the surface, making them easy to strike during shallow digging projects. Installing a mailbox, landscaping, putting in a fence, or building a deck are all examples of residential projects that necessitate a call to 811.
Nationwide, 26 percent of damages reported are caused by the failure of the professional excavator or homeowner to call 811 before digging according to the Common Ground Alliance’s most recent damage information reporting tool (DIRT). Statistics show the facilities damaged most often are telecom (47%) and natural gas (40%).
Dialing 811 connects callers to Kansas 811, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Calls are taken 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Locate requests can also be made online at www.kansas811.com. Requests should be made at least two working days prior to beginning a digging project. Professional locators are sent to the site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or spray paint. Once lines have been accurately marked, digging can begin.
Underground utility locate concerns such as timeliness, accuracy, utility damages, and other potential violations of Kansas One Call laws should be reported to the KCC for investigation. The agency also provides education and training opportunities for excavators year-round.