WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — August 11 (8/11) serves as an annual reminder for residents and professional excavators to contact 811 and have underground utility-owned lines marked before beginning any digging project.

Every few minutes an underground utility line is damaged by a poorly planned digging or excavation project.

Fortunately, there is a free, safe and easy way to avoid those damages – Call 811 before you dig.

For specific state guidelines, visit here.

• Always call 811 a few days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with a property.
• Plan ahead. 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. Do not allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.

A call to 811 does not mark customer-owned lines or those inside buildings. To identify those, contact a licensed plumber or qualified contractor.

Visit Call 811’s website for complete information.