ENERGY NEWS – MAY 2025
811 DIGGERS HOTLINE – FAQ
Q: What is Diggers Hotline?
A: It is a free service that you use before you do any kind of digging to make sure you don’t damage underground lines. Let them know at least three working days before you start digging and they will help you avoid causing damage to costly or dangerous buried lines.
Q: Will all of the lines be marked on my property?
A: Not necessarily. Diggers Hotline coordinates between excavators (such as a homeowner) and the owners of buried lines. It’s up to the owners of the lines to mark the locations near your job site with paint and/or flags. Private lines, such as an electric line to a detached garage or other out-building or a line from a propane tank that may be on your property, are considered the responsibility of the landowner. A locating company can be hired to mark private lines. This link provides a list of Wisconsin locating companies: http://www.diggershotline.com/locators/
Q: What are private lines and why don’t they get marked?
A: Private lines are facilities that are owned by homeowners or private businesses and are contained fully on their property. Because these lines do not cross in to the public right-of-way, they are not required to be members of Diggers Hotline and will not be notified of locate requests. Examples of private lines include propane lines, sewer laterals, sprinkler systems, ornamental lighting and electric lines to a barn or garage.
Q: Do I have to call if I’m only using hand tools?
A: Yes, and it doesn’t matter how deep you are digging. State law (Wisconsin Statute 182.0175) requires notifying Diggers Hotline before you excavate, grade, trench, dig, drill, augur, tunnel, scrape, plow cable or pipe. Excavation, according to the law, means anything that moves, removes or displaces earth rock or other material in or on the ground.
Q: Why do they ask so many questions?
A: Many of the questions are required by Wisconsin state law and some questions are required by the underground line owners to help them accurately mark their lines at your job site. Here is a link to help prepare a list of required information prior to making the call: http://www.diggershotline.com/required-information/
Q: I can’t wait three working days. Can I get an earlier start date and time?
A: Early start dates must be obtained directly from each facility owner after submitting a locate request. Diggers Hotline can provide you with the list of facility owners who will receive your locate request and their phone numbers. All facility owners will need to agree to your earlier start date request.
Q: How deep are underground lines buried?
A: It depends on the type of buried line, and whether it was installed properly. Although facility owners may follow depth guidelines when installing lines, they have no control over depth variation caused by human interference, weather, or other circumstances. As a result, depths are not provided by utility locators.
Q: Why do I have to hand dig within 18 inches of a marked facility?
A: Locating is not an exact science, and, therefore, the actual location of the facility could vary from the position of the marks. Also, state law mandates an 18-inch buffer zone on each side of a marked facility. No mechanized equipment can be used within this buffer zone; only hand digging is allowed. Also, you should stay 18 inches away from any utility structure at your job site.
Source: http://call811.com
NO FATS, OILS & GREASE DOWN THE DRAIN
Sanitary sewer overflows have been known to occur due to sewer blockages generated from Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) poured or flushed down residential drains that connect to the sanitary sewer system.
Bacon grease, chicken fat and vegetable oil, to name a few examples of common FOG, tends to clump together with other FOG washed down drains or flushed in toilets, slowly solidifying and reducing flow capacity in the sewer pipes. Much like too much fat in your diet can cause clogged arteries and lead to a heart attack in humans, the result of many households washing fats down their drains can also be disastrous. Fats don’t dissolve in water. Washing fats down the drain with hot water may take it past your sewer connection, but as the water cools, the fats and grease harden in sewer pipes. Detergents dissolve fat enough to clean your dishes or laundry, but not enough to keep it from congealing in the sewer. Fats, oils and grease cause about 47% of sewer overflows in the U.S.
What Should You Do with your FOG? 1) Put it in your trash. If a FOG will solidify, let it. Placing it in your refrigerator or freezer can speed up the process. Simply spoon it into a container (preferably not anything recyclable) and put it in the trash, once solidified. 2) Scrape plates into the garbage using a rubber or silicon spatula. 3) Before washing pans or anything else containing FOG, pour it into a container to solidify. Then wipe the pan with a paper towel before you wash it to absorb as much FOG as possible and discard the paper towel in the trash. 4) Don’t put liquid oil in the trash. Instead, place it in a sealed can and add kitty litter, coffee grounds or other absorbent material, such as the paper towels used to wipe pans before washing. The message is simple: Never put fats, oils or grease down your drain. If you have any questions, please contact Florence Utilities at 715-528-3330.
PIPELINE SAFETY
Pipelines exist almost everywhere throughout the U.S. and chances are you may live near or drive past one every day. There are several ways to identify a pipeline in your neighborhood.
Pipelines are marked by above-ground markers (signs, placards or stakes) to provide an indication of their presence, approximate location, the name of product carried and the name and contact information of the company that operates the pipeline. THE PRESENCE OF THESE MARKERS DOES NOT REMOVE THE NEED FOR A CALL TO 811 PRIOR TO EXCAVATION! They give an approximate indication of where a pipeline might be (not necessarily over the pipeline) and must be verified through placement of a call to 811. Placement of the markers depends on many factors, not necessarily the exact pipeline location.
The markers are generally yellow, black, and red in color. Their primary function is to identify the location of the pipeline to help the public understand the location of pipelines and prevent excavation damage accidents. Pipelines are generally, but not necessarily, buried 3 to 4 feet under the ground or deeper. Other cases require the pipeline to be buried much deeper to go under rivers or roads. The reason for this is because sometimes these areas become shallow after years of erosion or newly dug ditches. The pipeline lies within an area called the pipeline right-of-way, which is kept clear of trees and other vegetation, buildings, or other structures.
Another thing you might see out walking in your neighborhood or driving along the road is a fenced and secured area with some aboveground piping. These secured areas often provide access to valves along the pipeline system. These valves are controlled manually or remotely to stop the flow of products in a pipeline.
Other functions of the aboveground signs and markers include identification of the pipeline for routine patrols by foot, ATV, airplanes and sometimes helicopters. Pipeline operators must patrol their pipeline corridors and inspect the pipelines valves regularly. Such surveillance is an important safety tool to ensure that unauthorized activities, including unauthorized digging / excavations / building that might damage the underground pipe, are noticed and can be evaluated immediately. Source: http://www.pipeline101.com
You can also contact Florence Utilities 715-528-3330 if you have any questions regarding pipelines in our area.
SPECIAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
If anyone in your household has special medical equipment, such as an oxygen machine, that requires constant electrical power; please contact our office at 715-528-3330 as this information is vital to us in the event of an outage or emergency.