Safe gardening and landscaping means contacting 8-1-1 first

NEWS RELEASE
XCEL ENERGY
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With the weather warming up across Colorado, people will undoubtedly head out to their yards to begin their garden and lawn work. Xcel Energy wants to make sure customers are safe while working in the yard and stresses the importance of contacting Colorado 811 to request having underground utility lines marked first. Once again, the State of Colorado has officially proclaimed April 2022 as Safe Dig Month. 

Damaging or striking a single line can create a dangerous situation, cause injury or death, result in repair costs, fines and service outages. In Colorado, homeowners and contractors are required by law to submit a request to have utility lines located. Every digging project, large or small, warrants a call -- from installing a post for a mailbox or building a deck to planting a tree. It’s easy to submit a request to colorado811.org where the process is streamlined. The request must be made at least three business days in advance of a planned project.

Colorado 811 will notify the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. At no charge, professional locators will mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both. When locators from Xcel Energy visit a location, they will be wearing personal protective equipment and will have appropriate identification. Most likely, they will not need to interact with customers or enter their homes or buildings.

In 2021, Xcel Energy had 339 incidents in Colorado where Colorado 811 was not notified, which resulted in damage to buried gas and electric lines. In 2021 company-wide, there was less than one damage incident per 1,000 locates, which is the lowest damage rate Xcel Energy has experienced.

In Colorado, the Underground Damage Prevention Commission supports the safe digging laws for Colorado and oversees any complaints and claims submitted. To learn more, please visit: https://ops.colorado.gov/UDPSafetyCommission.

Customers may also need to make arrangements with a private locate company to locate lines not owned by a utility, such as a line installed by a homeowner to heat a pool or light a garage. Information for private locate companies can also be found on the colorado811.org site.

For more information about 8-1-1 and safe digging practices visit colorado811.org.

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