Make a call to 811 part of your springtime plans
The Eagle River Water & Sanitation District has officially transitioned to Tier 1 membership of Colorado 811, which means a positive shift in the processing of excavator locate requests for homeowners and contractors.
811 is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that connects excavators with underground facility owners prior to excavation in order to prevent unintentional strike of underground utility lines. The district was previously a Tier 2 member of 811, meaning district customer service received locate requests directly from the excavator. As of today (April 17), the district is a Tier 1 member, which means 811 will now receive locate requests from excavators and pass this information along to the district.
This streamlining move will make it easier for district customers to go about their business in a safe and responsible way. As the last snow melts and the ground becomes ready for planting and construction, the district urges homeowners and contractors to call 811 before you dig to ensure that your buried utility lines are marked. Striking an underground utility line while digging can cause harm to you or those around you, disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, and potentially result in fines and repair costs.
A call must be placed to 811 before every digging project, from simple landscaping projects like planting trees or shrubs, to building a deck or installing a mailbox. Don’t make a judgment call, make a phone call. Call 811 two-three business days before digging to have underground utilities marked.
More on the 811 process:
- Call 811 two-three business days prior to digging and your call will automatically be routed to your local one call center.
- You’ll give the operator information about how to contact you, where you are planning to dig and what type of work you will be doing. Your quick conversation with the operator will last a few minutes.
- Utility companies who have potential facilities in the area of your dig site will be notified about your intent to dig.
- Each affected utility company will send a locator to mark the approximate location of your underground utility lines.
- Respect the marks and dig carefully.
To learn more, visit colorado811.org.
