Warning: Check your soil before you do any digging on your property

I used to just rent a mini excavator and start trenching for fence posts without a second thought. Then last month I hit a buried gas line from the 60s that wasn't on any utility map and it blew a 4-foot crater in my yard. Has anyone else found unmarked lines or pipes on their land?

4 comments

4 Comments

henry60426d ago

Man I read a news story about a guy in Ohio who hit an old abandoned oil line doing some landscaping and it sprayed crude everywhere. That's exactly why I started calling 811 every time now even if it feels like overkill. Better to look paranoid than blow up your backyard.

logan20526d ago

Buddy of mine in Texas thought he was just digging post holes for a fence. Hit a gas line from the 70s nobody knew about and the whole neighborhood had to evacuate for four hours. Now he jokes that 811 is worth it even if you're just planting a daisy.

jennysullivan20d ago

Honestly I always call 811 now too, saved my butt when I found an unmarked cable digging for a garden.

alex_nguyen20d ago

Ohio actually had some crazy old oil lines from way back. Did the article say if the guy had called 811 before he started digging or did he just get lucky no one was hurt?