The first step in any digging project is calling 811
NEWARK, Del. - Delmarva Power is proud to once again partner with Miss Utility of Delmarva, the one-call notification center for Delaware and Maryland, to promote National Safe Digging Month. This awareness month serves as a reminder for residents, businesses and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to prevent damage to critical underground energy services and prevent injuries.
Delmarva Power, alongside Miss Utility, emphasizes the need to call 811 before beginning any digging project, no matter the size. By dialing 811, customers and contractors are connected to Miss Utility, which coordinates with local utility companies to mark the approximate locations of underground lines. Professional locators utilize spray paint, flags or other markers to indicate where it's safe to dig.
In 2023, Delmarva Power responded to 329 incidents stemming from unsafe digging practices. Striking underground utility lines not only poses serious safety risks, but can also result in serious injury, costly damages, service disruptions and potential fines.
With more than 6,500 miles of underground electric lines in Delaware and Maryland, and more than 3,600 miles of natural gas pipelines across northern Delaware, the potential for accidental damage is significant. Beyond Delmarva Power's infrastructure, there are numerous other utilities buried underground, including water and sewer lines, communication cables and more. In 2023, Pepco Holdings, which includes Pepco, Atlantic City Electric and Delmarva Power, conducted nearly 14,000 safety observations to ensure contractors are excavating in a safe way to help prevent underground contact from occurring.
Once the area is marked, understanding the color codes used for marking is essential (see above).
A recent survey by The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, shows the importance of calling 811. According to the national survey, 26.9 million homeowners planning do-it-yourself 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.
To avoid injury and disruptions, residents and businesses should remember these six tips before starting any project:
- Call 811 at least three days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.
- Have a plan. Call on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
- Confirm that all lines have been marked.
- Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
- 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.
- Visit call811.com for more information.
Delmarva Power joins the Exelon family of companies,1,700 Common Ground Alliance members, the U.S. Department of Transportation and governors across the country in marking April as National Safe Digging Month to bring extra attention to the issue of underground utility line safety and reduce the risk of unnecessary infrastructure damage.
To learn more about safe digging practices, visit delmarva.com/Safety or call 800-375-7117.
To learn more about Delmarva Power, visit The Source, Delmarva Power's online newsroom. Find additional information by visiting delmarva.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/DelmarvaPower and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/DelmarvaConnect. Delmarva Power's mobile app is available at delmarva.com/MobileApp.
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About Delmarva Power
Delmarva Power is a unit of Exelon (Nasdaq: EXC), a Fortune 250 company and the nation's largest utility company, serving more than 10 million customers. Delmarva Power provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 561,500 electric customers in Delaware and Maryland and approximately 140,000 natural gas customers in northern Delaware
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