Before breaking ground, homeowners must contact 811 to have underground utility lines marked on their property. Colorado law states that all who wish to dig must first give utilities up to three business days (not including weekends and holidays) to locate facilities which may be impacted by excavation, such as water and sewer lines, gas lines, electric lines and telephone and cable lines.
No job is too small to call! Even if you are just planting a small shrub or installing a new mailbox, you need to call 811 before you dig.
If you have previously had an area located, you still need to have it located again for a new project. Erosion and root growth can alter the depth and location of buried lines. Companies may have altered their lines since the last time you called in a locate, so be sure to call each and every time you dig.
If you have hired a landscaper or contractor, make sure that 811 has been contacted before they start work.
Follow these steps before breaking ground:
- Notify your local one call center by calling 811 or making an online request 2-3 days before work begins.
- Wait the required amount of time for affected utility operators to respond to your request.
- Confirm that all affected utility operators have responded to your request and marked underground utilities.
- Respect the marks.
- Dig Carefully around the marks.
For more information on how 811 works, click here. If you have any questions regarding utility locates or for help with a message received from a utility locator, contact the District office at 303-979-2333.
If you receive an email response from Platte Canyon, remember that it only pertains to water and sewer locates.