North Central Thousand Oaks

811--'CALL BEFORE YOU DIG'

811--'CALL BEFORE YOU DIG' NUMBER IN EFFECT AT CPS ENERGY

From CPS Energy News Release

A new three-digit phone number--811--is now available to “call to locate underground utility lines before digging begins,” said Victor Robledo, Public Safety Awareness Supervisor for CPS Energy. The new nationwide number designated by the FCC hopes to eliminate confusion state-to-state as well as save lives as more people use the simpler system to call before they dig.

“We are very excited about this easy-to-remember way for our customers to avoid costly repairs and potential safety problems,” Robledo said. “We’ve always encouraged our customers to call and make sure that simple weekend gardening project doesn’t turn out to be a big mess, or even worse, someone gets hurt or loses their life.”

Anyone who calls 811 will be directly connected to the closest One Call Center, which then notifies all necessary utilities in a specific geographic area. Each company will send a qualified line locator to mark where underground utilities are on the property in relation to a proposed digging project.

“The service is free, and it’s required by law before you can do any digging,” Robledo said. “Failure to locate underground lines is not only dangerous but also it could cause a loss of power or other utilities to your house or your neighbors’ houses. It could result in a fine as well.”

For more information about the new 811 system, CPS Energy customers can log on to www.call811.com, call Bob McCullough at 353-2344, or call 353-2970 for gas and electric safety tips.