April is National Dig Safe Month

MARQUETTE — Spring is on the way, and that means landscaping and gardening.

But, there’s one thing you need to do first: call Miss Dig. Before you start digging, you need to make sure there aren’t any underground cables or pipes, and Miss Dig is there to help.

“You never know when there might be electric power lines where you’re digging. Sometimes it might look like there might not be anything but there could be something underneath the ground. If you dig into an electric power line, there’s a risk of getting electrocuted by severing that line,” said Doug Schmidt, a meter mechanic with UPPCO.

Besides serious injury, you also risk losing power for yourself or your neighbors. You might also be liable for any damage done to underground lines. Fortunately, finding those lines is very easy.

“We’ll come out, free of charge and locate our underground facilities as will any other utility holder in the area,” added Matt Teeters, Operations Supervisor.

You can reach Miss Dig by dialing 811 or heading over to missdig.org. You’ll want to call at least three days before starting your project.