Today is National 811 Day

Today is National 811 Day—a timely reminder for all Florida residents and excavators to call 811 at least two business days before starting any digging projects.
Tampa Electric (TECO) reminds Floridians that the underground network of utility wires, cables and pipelines is often closer to the surface than they might think. Damaging one of these lines can cause service outages, injuries or fatalities, and may lead to fines and costly repairs.
 
Whether you’re building a fence, installing a mailbox or starting a major excavation, calling 811 ensures that professionals can mark the location of underground utilities at no cost to you.
 
In fact, TECO has a dedicated team of locators who mark underground power lines around homes and businesses—but only after receiving a call to 811. Since the program began in 2016, we’ve responded to more than 1.1 million requests, including roughly 115,000 in 2024 alone. Thanks to these efforts, damage to TECO’s underground equipment has dropped by more than 93 percent since the program’s inception.
A national survey found that 68 percent of Americans plan to take on a do-it-yourself project involving digging in the next year. Unfortunately, nearly half of them will not call 811 before they begin.
 
Here are some tips to keep in mind when taking on a project of your own:
 

• Call at least two business days before digging to give utility companies ample time to visit the property and mark their lines.
• Sunshine 811 notifies affected utility companies. Those who have equipment near the dig location then send a professional locator to mark the appropriate location of their underground equipment free of charge.
• Check the Sunshine 811 Positive Response link at Sunshine811.com for updates. Once all utilities have responded, dig carefully and leave 24 inches of space near any marks in your project area.
• Even when you are not digging, remember to leave any markers—paint or flags—in place. They are a sign of work that may be coming soon to your area by a utility or contractor.