Governor Reynolds to Proclaim April as Safe Digging Month

Des Moines, Iowa (March 26, 2018) - Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will meet with representatives from Iowa One Call (IOC) and Common Ground Iowa (CGI) on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at the State Capitol to officially sign the "April is Safe Digging Month" proclamation. April marks the start of spring digging season. Governor Reynolds, IOC and CGI are encouraging homeowners to call 811 before they dig to prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages. The Common Ground Alliance reports that every nine minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. Recognizing April as "Safe Digging Month" is an important and effective method to educate Iowans about the importance of having underground facilities located before digging. "We join the governor in strongly encouraging individuals and companies to call 811, or by 'clicking' online at iowaonecall.com, before they begin digging," said Ben Booth, Iowa One Call Communications Manager. "By having underground lines marked, homeowners are making an important decision that can keep help them and their communities safe and connected." Safe digging begins with creating a free notice to Iowa One Call by going online to iowaonecall.com or by dialing 811. Iowa law requires at least 48-hours advance notice before breaking ground (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays). Facility operators will mark their facilities in line with the American Public Works Association (APWA) Uniform Color Code. It is best to avoid digging within 18-inches on either side of the paint and flags in the area known as the "tolerance zone." If the project requires digging within the 18-inch tolerance zone, this must occur by hand-digging measures (no mechanized equipment should be used within the tolerance zone). Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, necessitates a notice to Iowa One Call. Installing a mailbox, putting in a fence, building a deck and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that require a notice before starting. Visit www.iowaonecall.com for more information about 811 and the call-before-you-dig process. About Iowa One Call     Iowa One Call is the state of Iowa's free underground damage prevention notification system that provides users with a single source/notification process to coordinate the locating and marking of underground facilities located near or within any proposed area of excavation.  The notification system is reached by dialing 8-1-1, or electronically by going online at www.iowaonecall.com Iowa One Call representatives handle more than 500,000 notices and coordinate more than 2.5 million locate requests annually.  The service provided by Iowa One Call is free of charge, including the locating and marking process (which is handled by the underground facility operators).  The cost is paid in full by underground facility operators who are required to become members of the Iowa One Call system. Iowa One Call is neither a utility nor a locating service and it does not own facilities nor does it locate underground facilities. To learn more about Iowa One Call, go to http://www.iowaonecall.com. - 30 -