Washington enacted its Underground Utilities Act, known as the Call Before You Dig law, in 1984, and now every state in the nation has enacted a similar law. The law, in all states, generally provides that anyone excavating must call the 811 utility-locate hotline before digging begins to have all utilities located and marked. According to Common Ground Alliance, which monitors 811 and related services nationwide, more than 300,000 potential damage incidents involving underground utilities were reported in 2011, and more than 25 percent of the incidents involved a failure to call before digging. Although Call Before You Dig has been effective in decreasing damage to underground utilities, enforcement in Washington has been sporadic and lax. But as of Jan. 1, the law has changed. Washington’s previous laissez-faire approach has been replaced by a strict new regime, which will result in more oversight, more enforcement, and more penalties. Are you ready?
Read the full article here: The Dirt on Washington’s New Dig Law.