Joliet, Illinois, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- August 11 is here. JULIE, Inc. (JULIE) hopes that the 8/11 date on the calendar will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to every digging project to have underground utility lines marked at no cost. Every few minutes an underground utility line in Illinois is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting JULIE. This is a free call and service.
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, penalties and inconvenient outages. Putting up a fence, installing a mailbox post, building a deck or patio and planting trees and shrubs are all common examples of digging projects that require a call to JULIE first.
“On August 11 and throughout the year, we remind homeowners and professional excavators alike to use our free service before digging to reduce the risk of striking an underground utility line,” said Kevin Chmura, Director of Public Relations for JULIE. “Notifying JULIE is really the only way to know which utility lines are buried in your area so that you can dig safely.”
The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked even when digging only a few inches or digging in a location that has previously been marked, because the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.
JULIE’s call center agents are available to receive and process locate requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 811. E-Request is a free, self-service option to submit a request at www.JULIEBeforeYouDig.com.
Based in Joliet, the not-for-profit organization represents 1,980 members and covers Illinois, outside the city of Chicago. JULIE personnel do not perform locating or marking services. For an explanation of the color-code markings, DIY project tips and information about the process, visit www.JULIEBeforeYouDig.com.
Attachment
