Aug. 11 was National Call Before You Dig Day (8/11), an annual reminder for all residents, businesses, and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to prevent damage to critical underground energy infrastructure and to keep communities safe.

Before taking on any project that involves digging, 811 (PA One Call) must be called at least three business days in advance to identify the approximate location of underground utility equipment. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree, and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects where a call to 811 should be one of the first steps.

Earlier this year, the Common Ground Alliance — the national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them, and their communities — announced results from a national survey that found 27.2 million homeowners planning do-it-yourself digging projects will not contact 811, putting themselves and their communities at risk of utility service disruptions, costly fines and repairs, and even serious injury or death. In 2024 alone, PECO was called to nearly 600 incidents where damage was caused to underground electric or natural gas equipment due to unsafe digging practices.

Residents and businesses should take the following steps if planning a digging project:

• Always call 811 at least three business days before your project. Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
• If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has called 811. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.
• You will be connected to PA One Call, the state’s coordinator for utility line marking.
• PA One Call will collect information about the project and provide it to PECO and other member utilities.
• The utilities will then mark their underground facilities.
• Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
• Visit Call811.com for more information.

Once the area is marked, understanding the color codes used for marking is essential:

PECO joins its sister utilities in marking National Call Before You Dig Day and is a member of the Common Ground Alliance to share best practices that promote safe excavation and lower instances of damage to underground lines. Learn more at PECO.

Customers can also contact PECO’s Damage Prevention team by calling 610-941-1809 or emailing [email protected].