On 811 Day, the SCC Reminds Virginians to Take the First Step to Safe Excavation and Contact 811 Before You Dig

August 11 is 811 Day, a day on which the Commonwealth recognizes the importance of always contacting Virginia 811 before you dig. Virginia 811 is the one-call notification center created by Virginia's utilities to protect their underground facilities from damage, prevent service interruptions to customers, and avert injury or damage to people or property while digging.

Contacting Virginia 811 to have your underground utilities located and marked is a free and simple process. If you plan to excavate at a single address, go online at va811.com to enter your request for the marking of underground utility lines. This online service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You may also call 8-1-1 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding state and national holidays. Emergency notification service is available 24/7, 365 days a year as well. "Know What's Below:" Contact Virginia 811 before you dig. Dig with C.A.R.E!

C.A.R.E. means:

• Contact Virginia 811 before you dig.
• Allow the required time for marking.
• Respect and protect the marks.
• Excavate carefully.

Taking the important first step and contacting Virginia 811 before you dig goes a long way in helping keep Virginia's underground utility infrastructure damage-free. It also helps keep our communities, business districts and environment safe in the process.

To learn more about "Digging with C.A.R.E." and Virginia's underground utility damage prevention program, contact the State Corporation Commission's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety at 804-371-9980 or visit its website. For free educational materials relating to underground utility damage prevention or to request a training session, complete and submit our online VA SCC Training and Outreach Request Form.

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Contact: Katha Treanor, 804-371-9141

Source URLs:

https://va811.com/

https://www.scc.virginia.gov/regulated-industries/utility-railroad-safety/damage-prevention/

https://www.scc.virginia.gov/ursforms/trainingRequest