Call Before You Dig: Xcel Urges 811 Use as Gardening Season Begins

(KNSI) – With the frost fleeing from the ground, central Minnesotans are gearing up to get gardening and landscape work started, but checking before sticking that shovel in the ground could save your life and your pocketbook.

April is National Safe Digging Month, and Xcel Energy is reminding residents to call 8-1-1 or submit an online request to Gopher State One Call at least two business days before starting a project. Every digging project requires a call, regardless of whether it is big or small. Anything from installing a mailbox post, to building a deck, to planting a tree requires a call.

This will allow a landowner’s underground utility lines to get marked free of charge. Underground utility lines include electric, natural gas, water and cable. Professional locators find the underground lines with flags, spray paint, or both. The depth of utility lines can change over time because of storms and soil conditions.

Customers should contact a private locator company to find lines not owned by a utility. Examples of these include lines installed by a homeowner to heat a pool, light a garage, or install a gas grill.
Digging without locating utility lines causes injuries, loss of life, and property damage every year. This damage can also lead to outages and fines.

In 2025, the company documented 106 incidents of damage to its underground natural gas and electric infrastructure.

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