‘Mississippi 811’: Save underground wires, pipes by calling before digging

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Call before you dig. That’s the message from “Mississippi 811”, a non-profit organization providing underground utility notification service.

Friday, August 11 is “811 Day” in Mississippi. It’s a reminder to call 811 before digging to avoid hitting buried utility cables.

Things, like installing a mailbox or fence, or planting a tree or shrub, all require a free call to 811 to locate the underground cables.

Utility companies will come to your property in three business days to mark the ground where there are cables.

According to “Mississippi 811”, most damage to underground utilities is done by homeowners.

“Many times gas lines are damaged even just scraping the outside coating of a gas line is damage because that breaks down their corrosion protection. But also there’s so much fiber in the ground that runs to houses now that you could cut off not only your own service but maybe your neighbors,” said Fred Johnson, President of MS811.

If a homeowner or contractor damages a utility line during a project, they will be responsible for the costs for repair or replacement. And that could get into the thousands of dollars.

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