Before breaking ground for major excavation, new construction, a remodeling project, a sprinkler system or even a fence post, Utah homeowners and contractors are encouraged to call the Blue Stakes Center, said center manager Todd West.
Financed by Mountain Fuel, US WEST Communications, Utah Power & Light and other participating utility companies, the center is a free, one-call service that sends utility representatives to digging sites statewide to mark the locations of buried utility lines.Unnecessary expense, confusion and inconvenience of severed or damaged utility lines can be avoided by calling the Blue Stakes Center at 532-5000 in the Salt Lake area or 1 (800) 662-4111 for all other Utah locations. The center is open Monday-Friday, 7:35 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.
"There are thousands of miles of utility lines and cable buried in Utah," said West. "If a gas line, electrical cable or telephone line is cut, it can affect thousands of Utahns. In some cases it can cause serious injury or loss of life."
West said the center needs at least two working days to respond to calls before digging can begin.
Although still referred to as Blue Stakes, the blue stakes formerly used as markers have been replaced by fluorescent paint because the paint more accurately and efficiently marks the underground lines, said West.
West said state law requires the center be called before any digging begins.