With spring underway, the Alabama Public Service Commission is urging homeowners to call 8-1-1 before starting any outdoor digging projects.

The commission has designated April as 811 Safe Digging Month to remind residents that notifying utility companies before excavating is a free and legally required step that can prevent injuries, costly damage and service interruptions.

“Contacting 811 before digging is one of the easiest ways to avoid costly damage and serious safety risks,” APSC President Cynthia Lee Almond said in a news release. “This free service helps homeowners identify underground utility lines so projects can move forward safely and responsibly.”

Homeowners planning landscaping, installing fences or adding decks are encouraged to use the service. Once notified, utility companies send representatives to mark underground lines with paint and flags, ensuring excavation can proceed safely.

“Contacting 811 before digging provides protection for folks as they begin their spring projects around their homes,” Commissioner Chris V. Beeker III said. “The dedicated utility workers in our state go above the call of duty to ensure homes, businesses and citizens are kept safe. I appreciate and commend the hard work they do for all of Alabama.”

Commissioner Jeremy H. Oden added that National Safe Digging Month highlights the importance of safety during outdoor projects. “The simple yet crucial step of contacting 811 not only ensures the safety of the homeowner before they dig, but also helps prevent damage and service interruptions for underground utilities like natural gas, electricity and water,” he said.

The commission marked the recognition during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 7 at 10 a.m. at the Carl L. Evans Chief Administrative Law Judge Hearing Complex, RSA Union Building, Room 900, 100 N. Union St., Montgomery. Commissioners signed a resolution officially designating April as 811 Safe Digging Month following the meeting.