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Practice Safe Digging – It’s the Law

April is National Safe Digging Month, however it’s important to practice safe digging year round.

Nebraska811 is a statewide one-call notification center set up under Nebraska Statute 76-2321 in 1994. The law is designed to protect underground utilities and the well-being of people.

The law requires that all utilities become a member of Nebraska811. Utility companies mark or identify where their utilities are buried before any dirt work begins in order to keep utility lines from being damaged and any person from being hurt. 811 is a universal number used across the United States.

Locators, utility companies and other officials use color codes to identify underground utilities with flags, paint, or other means. Below is a list of the corresponding colors for the type of underground utility:

White – proposed excavation
Pink – temporary survey markings
Red – electric
Yellow – gas, oil
Orange – communications, cable-TV
Blue – water
Purple – reclaimed water
Green – sewer

Before planting trees, bushes, building a shed, installing a sprinkler line, planting bulbs or any type of digging in your yard, contact Nebraska811 by calling 811 or making an online request at nebraska811.com at least two business days before you dig. It’s free and the utility members will be out to mark the area you plan to excavate.