Verizon Urges Contractors, Landscapers to Call Diggers Hotline Before They Dig
WAUSAU, Wis., April 17 /PRNewswire/ — Building a fence. Planting a
tree. Replacing a mailbox. There are a lot of ways to cut buried phone
lines. But only one way to avoid them: Call Diggers Hotline.
It happens every spring when the weather turns warmer. Contractors and
landscapers start digging and discover something unexpected — buried utility
cable that their equipment has accidentally severed.
Cut cables usually mean that communications services are out in the
neighborhood or even in a wide area, affecting thousands of homes and
businesses.
This unpleasant surprise could be avoided if construction crews,
landscapers and other outdoor enthusiasts dialed Diggers Hotline before
starting a project that involves digging of any kind.
By calling the toll-free hotline, 1-800-242-8511, callers can arrange to
have Verizon or other Wisconsin utility companies visit their sites to mark
the location of buried telephone cables, wires and pipes. The hotline
operates 24 hours a day. Users can also file a locate request on the Diggers
Hotline Web site at http://www.diggershotline.com.
“Every year, area residents have their telephone service needlessly
interrupted because someone didn’t call before starting a construction
project, even those as simple as digging a post hole for a mailbox,” said Bob
Burger, Verizon’s area manager-customer operations for Wisconsin. “Calling
Diggers Hotline is the surest and safest way to avoid damaging underground
cables and interrupting telephone service.
“A severed cable can be costly to the person or company responsible for
the damage, and even more hurtful to someone who needs to make an emergency
call but can’t because the phone line is cut,” said Burger.
Verizon advises customers and construction crews that under state law
they must provide utility companies with advance notice of at least three
working days before beginning any household chore or commercial project that
involves digging.
Anyone who fails to comply could be liable for repair costs, if any, or
civil penalties.
Buried telephone cables frequently run along the shoulder of the road or
along the edges of property. Cables that provide service to a specific
residence or business often run directly through the lot.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in
delivering broadband and other communication innovations to wireline and
wireless customers. Verizon operates America’s most reliable wireless
network, serving 51.3 million customers nationwide; one of the most expansive
wholly-owned global IP networks; and one of the nation’s premier wireline
networks, serving home, business and wholesale customers. Based in New York,
Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 250,000 and generates annual
consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more
information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
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