Do you know the info - or as the youngsters say, the 411 – on 811? If not, you’re sure to hear about it soon, thanks to a $1.2 million awareness campaign funded by Congress. Sounds like an awful lot of money for three little numbers, doesn’t it? The government believes those three numbers will save excavators and utilities a lot of headaches. This eBulletin issue will give you a rundown of one-call systems, including new legislation related to such systems, as well as the scoop on 811 and what it means for water and wastewater utilities nationwide.
8-1-Wha-a??
So what exactly is 811? It’s a nationwide number that connects to one of the 62 one-call centers, based on the state in which you’re calling. It’s part of a federal movement to strengthen and enforce one-call systems.
The number, which went into effect May 1, does not replace the individual toll-free numbers most states have for their one-call systems. The idea is to provide a number anyone can remember that can be used anywhere. The number connects the caller to the one-call system in that state. Those wanting to reach out-of-state one-call centers must use the other state’s toll-free number – 811 doesn’t transfer callers from state to state.
The new 811 number works the same as those toll-free numbers, but it’s easier to remember. Lawmakers and one-call operators hope that will encourage more people to call before they dig.
Hundreds of accidents cost utilities thousands of dollars each year. For the big boys, fixing broken lines or pipes can be annoying and costly. For small or rural water and wastewater systems, such accidents can be critical. Those lacking proper emergency funding can find themselves in a world of trouble if a water pipe is broken by an errant backhoe.
Hence, the one-call centers. There is at least one center in each state and U.S. territory, and some states, such as California, Idaho and Montana, have more than one.
Additional Resources
Call 811 campaign
http://www.call811.com [1]
Construction Weblinks
http://www.constructionweblinks.com/ [2]
More Laws for One-Call
The one-call centers are mandatory by federal law, and a recently law has affirmed the duties of both the excavator and the utilities.
The new law, “Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforecement and Safety Act of 2006” or PIPES for short (isn’t that clever?), still gives states the authority to provide specific regulations for its one-call centers, excavators and utilities. However, the law does specify that excavators “may not engage in a demolition, excavation, tunneling, or construction activity in a state that has adopted a one-call notification system without first using that system to establish the location of underground facilities.”
To whom that applies varies from state to state. In most states, it includes everyone but farmers cultivating the land and homeowners digging a simple garden. In a few states, such as Kentucky, anyone who digs must call. Kentucky’s law states that any “movement, placement, probing, boring or removal of earth, rock or other material in or on the ground by use of any tools or equipment, or by the discharge of explosives” is considered “excavation” and requires those doing it to get utilities marked first.
Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters discussed the federal PIPES law May 1 during the launch of the 811 awareness campaign in Washington, D.C. She noted that the new law isn’t just aimed at excavators, but at utility workers, one-call centers and even state governments who don’t enforce their laws.
The new federal law requires utilities covered under state statute to mark their lines when requested. It also pushes states to stiffen penalties against those who violate their pipeline and utility protection acts, from excavators who don’t call to operators who don’t respond, and even third parties who think it’s funny to move or remove markings.
“Many states will have to toughen their laws,” Peters said. “Only a handful, like Virginia and Minnesota, currently have laws and programs that allow officials to go after those who put lives at risk.”
Additional Resources
Mary Peters’ comments
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/peterssp050107.htm [3]
To Be or Not to Be…A Member
You may be thinking, “My system doesn’t need to be a member of a one-call center. We’re small. We can’t afford it. We don’t have problems with people digging. Heck, even the dogs don’t dig in this town.”
Before you decide “nay” on the one-call membership, you better make sure you live in Alabama, Alaska, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma or Wyoming. Every other state has mandatory one-call membership requirements for most utilities, though some, such as Texas and Kansas, exclude water and wastewater utilities.
Such requirements have been around a while in most states. A few have changed recently, and others are contemplating change.
Alabama doesn’t have mandatory membership requirements – yet. But that could change if Senate Bill 302 becomes law. The bill, among other things, calls for the creation of a single, statewide one-call notification system. It also states that “all operators would participate in and share the costs” of the system.
Kansas also has legislation pending regarding one-call membership requirements. State law currently exempts water and wastewater facilities from mandatory membership in the state’s one-call system. The bill, HB2127, would make membership mandatory for all underground facility operators.
In Arkansas, membership to the state’s one-call center was voluntary for some systems until this year, when Senate Bill 82 became Act 41. The new law requires all public utilities, regardless of size, to join the one-call center’s database. The law kicks in Jan. 1, 2008.
The law has a few exemptions, mainly agricultural and small, privately owned systems that aren’t on public land, said Mike Gowen, Damage Prevention Coordinator for Arkansas One-Call. However, if private systems have pipelines that run through public rights-of-way, such as highway frontage, then the system must become a member.
“We have a lot of public housing now that are members, because if someone is out digging by their facilities, they want to know about it,” Gowen said.
Arkansas One-Call currently has about 700 members, Gowen said. He expects another 300 to join by Jan. 1, mostly rural water and wastewater systems.
The good news is, the call center currently is allowing systems to join for free until Jan. 1, since most didn’t have the fees worked into their 2007 budgets. Rural systems, Gowen said, would pay about $11 for the system.
Fees vary from state to state. Some offer one-time fees. Texas regulations, for example, call for a $50 fee to be paid by mandatory members each January. Colorado charges its new members a one-time $25 fee. It also charges a small fee for tickets, as do a few other states.
Construction Weblinks provides a list of one-call statutes on its Web site. Under Industry Topics on the main page, click Specifications, Technical Help in the middle column. Then click Earthwork and Site Work, then Directory of Underground Alert Centers. (Unfortunately, the actual link was far to long to be added here.)
Life-Saving Legislation
Why the push for all utilities, including small and rural ones, to join such call centers? Why is it so important to have a three-digit number anyone can remember? Why all the federal legislation?
Peters provided a simple answer to those questions during the 811 launch – it saves lives.
Peters told the audience that in the last decade, 47 deaths and 174 injuries were caused when pipelines were damaged during excavation.
Pressurized water, sewer, slurry and steam lines can be especially dangerous, but any line break can cause catastrophe, especially for small systems. While it may seem a pain to pay a monthly or annual fee to be a part of a one-call center, the rewards could be fewer line breaks, fewer emergencies and fewer direct hits to the pocketbook. Granted, this also depends on those wanting to dig actually calling first, but federal and state officials are hoping the new 811 number will help in that area. It’s easy to remember, and it’s hoped the new awareness campaign will engrain that number into the minds of homeowners, construction workers and utility workers before they put shovel to dirt.
If you want to help spread the word, the Common Ground Alliance’s Call 811 Web site includes free, downloadable materials to promote the 811 Call Before You Dig campaign.
Additional Resources
Common Ground Alliance
http://www.commongroundalliance.com [4]
Call 811 free promotional material
http://www.call811.com/campaign-materials/Default.aspx [5]