April officially proclaimed as Virginia Safe Digging Month
April 2024
by Staff Reports
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has issued a proclamation declaring April as Virginia Safe Digging Month. The proclamation serves as a reminder to Virginians to contact Virginia 811 before undertaking any outdoor digging projects.
April typically heralds the onset of the spring digging season in Virginia, which prompted Virginia 811 and Youngkin to advocate for homeowners and professionals alike to contact Virginia 811 before commencing any excavation activities. This preemptive measure aims to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient service outages.
“We join the governor in strongly encouraging individuals and companies to contact Virginia 811 before they begin digging,” says B. Scott Crawford, President & CEO of Virginia 811. “By ensuring underground lines are properly marked, Virginians make a crucial decision that helps keep them and their communities safe and connected.”
When calling 811 in Virginia, individuals are connected to Virginia 811, which then notifies the appropriate utility companies about any intended excavation. Professional locators are then dispatched to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or water-based spray paint. Once lines have been accurately marked, digging can begin around the marked lines.
Whether as professional excavators, contractors, or homeowners, Virginians have an important role in preventing damage to underground utilities. Regardless of the project’s scale, contacting Virginia 811 to request utility line markings before digging helps avoid physical injury, property damage, costly repairs, and service interruptions.