News Release

For more information contact: Abbie Hodgson, 785-271-3269

April 14, 2010

Governor Declares April 'Safe Digging Month'
Encourages Kansans to call 811 before they dig

Topeka, KS- Governor Mark Parkinson signed a proclamation April 14, 2010 declaring the month of April "Safe Digging Month". The proclamation was requested by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), the Common Ground Alliance, and Kansas One-Call to increase awareness of safe digging practices and to promote 811, the call-before-you-dig number.

Each year in the United States, more than 200,000 underground utility lines are struck, of those lines, 37 percent of damages are a result of not calling before digging. Designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2005, 811 provides a simple number to reach local one-call centers to request utility line locations be marked for free. When you call 811, you will be routed to the Kansas One-Call Center, the underground utility notification center for the state of Kansas.

Kansas One-Call will take information about your location and notify the affected utility companies of your digging plans. While calls are taken 24-hours a day, seven-days a week, homeowners and contractors are required to call at least two working days in advance of beginning their digging project to allow the utility company time to send a professional locator to mark the location of your lines.

Homeowners and contractors are required to call 811 before every digging project, from planting a tree to installing a fence, because the depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple lines in a common area. Some utility lines may even be buried only a few inches below the surface, making them easy to strike during shallow digging projects.

Smart digging means calling 811 before you dig and respecting the marked utility lines. This helps prevent unintended consequences such as disrupting service to your neighborhood, damaging your property, or injuring yourself or others.

Learn more about 811 and Safe Digging Month by visiting: www.call811.com.
More information about Kansas One Call is available at: www.kansasonecall.com.