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811 Day Recap

Banner image promoting Call Before You Dig

Did you know that August 11th is national 811 Day? For some, this day marks the near-end of summer. For stakeholders in damage prevention, it serves as a great reminder for everyone to contact their local 811 notification center prior to any excavating projects and get underground lines marked. North Dakota One Call (NDOC) is North Dakota’s notification center, so when you plan an excavation project, contact NDOC 48 hours in advance, excluding weekends and holidays, before you begin any digging.

Image of an 811 hat

NDOC partnered with the Bismarck Larks to host an “811 Day at the Ballpark” event, where they handed out 811 baseball caps to attendees. The first 100 participants who filed a locate ticket with NDOC before the game were eligible to receive two free tickets to the baseball game on August 11th, 2018 by taking their locate ticket to the Larks front office or by submitting their information online. The promotion was called “Dig for Cash”, and every submission was automatically entered for a chance to dig for $5,000 in cash on the field during the game. This year’s “Dig for Cash” winner was Eric Koster. He walked away with nearly $3,000!

In the end, the Bismarck Larks stood victorious against the Duluth Huskies with a final score of 7-1. This partnership presented a great opportunity to promote the damage prevention message to a new audience. Take the first step in the safe digging process by always filing a locate request online or by phone before breaking the surface of the ground. It’s FREE, EASY, and the LAW!

Image of the 811 dig for cash event

NDOC Holiday Schedule

Planning on installing an outdoor fire pit on Labor Day? Want to revamp your landscaping when the weather cools down on Columbus Day? Keep in mind that after filing a locate request with North Dakota One Call (NDOC), you must wait 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, before you begin digging. The day you call DOES NOT count towards the standard 48-hour notice. Plan ahead when digging over a holiday, since you will need to wait additional time for your underground utilities to get marked. When a holiday listed occurs on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is not considered a business day. When a holiday listed occurs on a Sunday, the following Monday is not considered a business day. See the graphic below for the list of holidays that NDOC observes.

Image of North Dakota's holiday schedule

For example, Labor Day will fall on a Monday, so if you place your locate request on the Friday prior to this holiday, your standard 48-hour waiting period will start the following business day, Tuesday the 4th, at 12:01 AM. Thus, the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will not count towards the 48-hour notice. Tuesday and Wednesday will be the actual waiting period for the locate request, so digging can commence on Thursday at 12:01 AM. If you plan to dig over this holiday, make sure to “click or call” at the very latest on the prior Wednesday, so that you can officially start digging on Saturday. See below for a visual example of the waiting period timeline.

Image of the Call Timeline