Remember, always call 811 before starting summertime digging projects
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, June 20th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
digging. While the earth may seem solid and ripe for excavating, buried natural gas and utility lines pose a major hazard when digging on unsurveyed ground. The Oregon Dig Law Standards Manual, published by the Oregon Public Utilities Commission, states that property owners/residents that plan on digging or excavating are required to call the Oregon Utility Notification center at 811 at least two (and no more than ten) business days before digging. This service is completely free.
When contacted, the notification center will reach out to all utility providers whose infrastructure falls within the planned dig zone and the owner/resident will be asked to physically mark said dig zone. Crews will then arrange to mark their utility lines with the correct colors and provider logos, allowing for safe digging without the risk of damaging unmarked utilities.
For reference, the utility color coding system, as listed in the Oregon Dig Law Standards Manual, is as follows:
- RED: Electric power lines, cables or conduit, and lighting cables
- YELLOW Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
- ORANGE Communication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduits, and fiber
- BLUE Potable water
- GREEN Sewers, drainage facilities or other drain lines
- WHITE Pre-marking of the outer limits of the proposed excavation or marking the centerline and width of propose lineal installations of buried facilities
- PINK Temporary survey markings
- PURPLE Slurry, irrigation and reclaimed water
For more information, visit https://www.oregon.gov/puc/safety/pages/call-before-you-dig.aspx#:~:text=Call%20811%20or%20toll%20free,before%20starting%20any%20digging%20project.
