Question: What's the "Dig Safe" or "Call Before You Dig" Phone Number?
I mentioned this in an earlier FAQ on landscape plans, but it bears repeating. Some of you have heard about the "Dig Safe" phone number you should call before plunging that shovel into new ground. By dialing the "Call Before You Dig" number, you might avoid severing an underground utility cable while digging. Don't risk your well-being....
Answer:
"Dig Safe" is a regional name (New England). Nationally (in the U.S.), the program is known as "Call Before You Dig." So what's the phone number? You just dial 811 -- that's right, 811, not 911. Remember it this way: you dial 811 first to avoid having to dial 911 later. The operators at Call Before You Dig route calls to your local utilities, prompting someone to come out and mark the utility lines on your property -- so that you'll know where not to dig. The last thing you want to find at the end of your shovel is an electrical cable.
