LITTLE ROCK – Spring is here and with warmer temperatures on the way, this is the prime season to start home improvement and landscaping projects. April is National Safe Digging Month and Entergy Arkansas is reminding you to call 811 before digging into your list of spring projects.
National Safe Digging Month serves as a reminder to all people who excavate or dig to call 811 at least two full business days before digging to have the approximate location of their utility lines marked. This process helps prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient utility outages.
The focus of National Safe Digging Month is on preventing serious consequences that could occur from digging without knowing what’s below the surface – not only now, but year-round. Regardless of what you plan to do, how deep you plan to dig or even if you’ve called before for a similar project, every job requires a call first.
“We encourage our customers to prioritize safety,” said Ventrell Thompson, vice president of customer service for Entergy Arkansas. “Everyone – homeowners, business owners and contractors – should call 811 to determine the location of existing lines to limit the chances of striking underground utility lines, including gas, water and electric. Not only is it the safe thing to do, but it’s also the law.”
The depth of underground utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in one common area. The risk of striking underground utility lines exists even when digging only a few inches.
Arkansas has its own 811 call center that can help you stay safe while digging. Call center representatives can advise you on how to submit requests to learn what utilities may be buried beneath the ground, such as natural gas pipelines, electric power lines and other services.
After you make the call to 811, professional locators mark the approximate locations of underground lines at the requested digging site with flags, paint or both. Markings show the location of underground lines and help prevent undesired consequences such as injury, service disruptions or costly fines and repair costs.
If you suspect utility damage of any kind, leave the area immediately and call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) or call 911. A gas leak could be occurring if you smell the distinctive natural gas odor, hear a hissing or whistling sound near a gas appliance or see dead vegetation or bubbles near a gas line.
For more information, visit Arkansas811.com, Entergy.com/safety/dig/ or call 800-482-8998.
