LG&E and KU reminding customers of the importance of safe digging
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – August 11 is National 811 Day, an annual reminder to always contact 811 before starting any project that requires digging. Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company are offering important tips and information for customers and excavators to remember before digging into their projects.
Contacting 811 is the law and could save customers from expensive and unnecessary repairs, fines, serious injuries or even death.
Contact 811
If a project involves digging, the first step is to call 811, or visit Kentucky811.org or va811.com, to submit a locate request (if the project will involve contractors performing excavation, remind them to contact 811). This step must happen at least two full business days prior to beginning any excavation work, not including the day of the request. 811 member utilities will then notify the customer once any underground cables or pipelines on the property have been marked. This includes utilities such as natural gas, electric, cable and water.
Kentucky Utilities is a member utility in certain parts of its service territory. In areas where KU is not a member utility of the 811 service, customers need to contact KU directly to request an underground electric line locate service. KU will perform this service at no charge. Visit lge-ku.com/811 to find out if KU is a member utility in your county.
Positive response
Underground line locating is a free service. Once locating is performed, customers will receive a “positive response” notification. This is a verification via email or an online portal notification. Once a confirmed positive response is received, safe digging can proceed.
Tolerance zone
Please note that underground lines may not run straight between marks and flags. For this reason, a “tolerance zone” must be observed around any markings. This tolerance zone is equal to the width of the underground utility itself plus the area extending 24 inches on either side of the utility. Don’t have a width for the utility? Assume at least two inches, and depths may vary. If excavation within the tolerance zone is necessary, always use nonintrusive methods, such as hand-digging, to avoid underground line damage.
Private lines
It’s also important to remember that while utilities running from the street will typically be marked, some other underground lines on the property may not be marked by locating services. Examples could be invisible pet fences, private lines like electrical lines to sheds or exterior lighting, or water lines to pools or fountains. It is the property owner’s responsibility to contact a private locating service to mark these private lines.
Have more questions?
LG&E and KU have launched a new video series called Digging into Safe Digging to help answer common customer questions about their digging projects. Each video provides a clear explanation to each customer question. Visit lge-ku.com/811 to view the new series and for more information on safe digging.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 335,000 natural gas and 436,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 545,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and 28,000 in five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
