KUB and other utilities are joining the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) to use August 11 [8-11] to remind customers and contractors about the importance of calling 811 before digging to have underground utilities marked for free.

Tennessee State Law requires anyone about to engage in digging, excavation, moving of earth, demolition, or any type of activity that could damage underground utility lines, to notify Tennessee One Call (811) of their intent to dig no less than three business days before the work is to begin. Tennessee One Call will then notify KUB and other member utilities about the proposed work and the requested excavation site will be marked with paint or flags so customers will know where to dig safely during excavation.

  "According to the CGA, an underground utility line is damaged during digging projects once every three minutes nationwide," said Bill Elmore, KUB Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "One free call to 811, however, can help customers avoid possible injury, repair costs, fines, and inconvenient service outages in their homes or neighborhoods."

Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting.

The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.

For more information on Call 811, visit www.call811.com or visit KUB's Web site at www.kub.org and click on the Safety & Outages tab. To report damage to a KUB utility line, call 865-524-2911.

KUB is a municipal utility serving Knox and parts of seven adjacent counties and provides electric, gas, water, and wastewater services to more than 439,000 customers.