Each year in North Carolina, lives are endangered, money and time are wasted and property is destroyed because individuals fail to follow safe digging practices. The “One-Call” system, which is free to the excavator as well as the homeowner, helps those who dig comply with the safety rules and regulations of the construction industry.
In a typical neighborhood, a complex web of utility lines are buried under lawns, sidewalks and driveways. When digging, one wrong move might cause the community to be cut off from heat, electricity, telephones, water, 911 calls and other vital services. When you make the free call to the One-Call Center, the One-Call staff notifies their member utilities to mark the ground with color-coded paint. After the utilities are marked in your work area, you have taken the first step to avoid damage or injury. And, our Shady Valley and Mountain City customers also can contact the Tennessee OneCall Center by dialing 8-1-1 from their homes or businesses located in the 739 telephone exchange.
In fact, North Carolina state law requires homeowners, contractors and excavators to contact the One-Call Center at least two business days before digging. The North Carolina One Call Center provides a toll-free telephone number, 8-1-1, to help reduce damages to underground facilities, thereby reducing the loss of service to the public and the loss of time and money to excavators, utilities and taxpayers.