Apr 10, 2018
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – April marks the 10th anniversary of National Safe Digging Month. In observance of the occasion, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company are reminding area residents to have underground utility lines identified to avoid digging dangers.
The Federal Communication Commission’s designated call-before-you-dig number, 811, identifies buried lines that could be damaged as a result of excavation work. Residents can dial 8-1-1 or visit 811now.com to complete the online form and request underground facility markings at a single address.
Not only can digging without knowing the location of underground utilities result in serious injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs when gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines are damaged; it’s also illegal. Kentucky law requires all excavators – whether a homeowner or contractor, and whether working on a small project such as installing a mailbox or a larger one like building a deck or laying a patio – to contact operators of underground utilities before performing any excavation work.
According to Common Ground Alliance, a national organization focused on protecting underground utilities across the country, an underground utility line is damaged every nine minutes because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. In fact, nearly 40 percent of homeowners surveyed earlier this year on behalf of the organization admitted they will not call 811 before starting projects that require digging, even though doing so reduces the chance of causing damage by 99 percent.
How to use Kentucky 811:
LG&E is a Kentucky 811 member utility in all of the areas it serves. KU is a Kentucky 811 member only in certain areas of its service territory.
LG&E customers should contact 811 before they dig. KU customers can visit the company website to see if they need to contact 8-1-1 or KU directly based on their location.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve nearly 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 326,000 natural gas and 411,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 553,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
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