Dig Safely Around Utilities

You may take it for granted when the lights come on at the flick of a switch, or when the familiar blue flame appears on your stovetop, but remember that your natural gas and electricity are coming from ouside your home. All gas lines and many power lines run underground for safety and aesthetic reasons, but out of sight shouldn't mean out of mind. Digging into underground cables or pipelines can disrupt service to you and your neighbors, damage property, and cause injury to you or others.

If you are planning to do significant digging around your home, either for landscaping or construction, check with your utility companies to be sure your project won’t run into any dangerous obstacles underground. Many states operate one-call hotlines that coordinate with all appropriate local utilities to approve both commercial and residential digging projects. Bear in mind it can take several days to review your proposed dig.

Here are some other things to remember when digging around your home:

• If you plant near your gas or electric meter, leave enough space for your meter readers to have easy access. Avoid planting trees or large shrubs in front of meters.
  
  
• Don't use metal ladders or metal pruning tools when doing outdoor work near power lines.
  
  
• Utility transformers are often placed in easements and rights-of-way on private property. Maintenance crews need access to this equipment to keep your service reliable, and to restore your service in the event of an outage.

Check with your local utility companies for any additional information.