April is Safe Digging Month. Monmouth Fire Assistant Chief Craig Cozadd shares how crucial it is to have underground utility lines marked before any digging project:
“JULIE is the number that you call if you are going to do any digging, which you have to contact them. That is the Joint Underground Utilities part that works in conjunction with not only Ameren, but anybody who has utilities, so it would be any fiber-optic, the cable company, water department, and the city. They made it so simple that you can do it all online; put all your information in through Ameren or JULIE, and they issue a dig number that is good for two weeks. Crews will come out and mark everything down. It is free. The alternative is one, the danger of hitting gas lines or heaven forbid you hit a fiber-optic, which is way worse cost wise. If you don’t use JULIE, if you don’t stay within their parameters, you have to foot the bill for the damage that is done. If somebody has to come out and make repairs, that is on you. If JULIE marks it and they are off, it is all on them.”
811 is the national call-before-you-dig phone number or visit call811.com to get those buried utility lines marked before starting that project.
