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Utility damage from digging accidents can be dangerous, costly, and causes disruption to the utility services we rely on to work and live.
This is why both property owners and professional contractors are required by law to notify Dig Safe before disturbing the surface of the earth- on public or private property.
Dig Safe is a notification center that dispatches participating utility companies to mark-out the location of their underground facilities in the area where you plan to dig.
Dig Safe is a free service, assisting both professionals and DIYers in preventing digging accidents.
Dig Safe does NOT mark out underground facilities. We are a clearinghouse that notifies participating member utilities. Our Dig Safe members are responsible for utility mark-outs.
These participating utility companies respond by dispatching their own locating technicians for the mark-out, or they may use a contract locating company to mark their facilities.
Click here for a list of all Dig Safe members in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Use white paint, stakes, or flags to define the location where you plan to dig. This helps the locating technicians to quickly identify where your project will take place and prevent unnecessary markings outside of your digging area.
State law requires you to wait the full advance notice requirement of 72 hours in MA, ME, NH, and RI; 48 hours in Vermont - not including weekends or holidays.
The member companies are required to respond within this time frame to locate their underground facilities in the area you intend to dig.
On your Dig Safe ticket is a list of member utilities that Dig Safe will notify for the utility mark-out.
Keep in mind that Dig Safe does not actually mark the lines. It is the member utility companies notified on the ticket, or their contract locating companies, who respond to mark their underground lines.
If you do not receive utility marks or a response from a notified member company by your start date, call Dig Safe at 811 right away.
Our participating member utilities identify their type of facility using this nationally recognized color code system:
State law requires certain utility types to participate in the Dig Safe system. There may be underground lines in the area of your excavation that belong to entities who are currently exempt from Dig Safe membership, like municipalities. It is your responsibility to contact non-member companies directly.
In Maine, you must notify any non-member facility operators in the Maine Public Utilities Commission's directory at www.oktodig.com or 1-866-OKTODIG.
Member utility companies are responsible to mark the lines that they own or maintain in the area of your excavation. They are not responsible to mark out private lines.
Common examples of private lines include, but are not limited to, sprinkler systems, gas lines to service a pool, barbeque or fire pit, electric lines to service a detached garage or outside lighting.
You will need to hire a private locating company to identify the location of buried private utility lines.
In Maine, owners of private underground utilities in the area surrounding the work site are required to mark those facilities within three days of receiving this notice. For more information go to www.maine.gov/mpuc and click on Underground Damage Prevention Program. Or call 207-287-3831 or 1-800-452-4699.
It is safest to avoid digging in the area of the markings. If digging within 18 inches of a marked underground utility line, you must safely expose the facility by hand digging or by using vacuum excavation equipment.
The use of mechanized equipment within the 18" tolerance zone is considered unsafe and is prohibited by state law. Even when digging with hand tools, use caution to prevent injuries and damage to a utility line.
You are required to maintain the marks placed by member utility companies. If your marks are no longer visible, contact Dig Safe at 811 to request a remark.
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont:
Tickets expire 30 days from the date of issue.
Maine
Tickets expire every 60 days from the date of issue. You must start the excavation work within 30 days from the date of issue.
Rhode Island
Tickets do not expire, provided that the marks are maintained. You must start the excavation within 30 days from the date of issue. Renew tickets online with Exactix or by calling us at 811.
