Nearly two-thirds of the utility line strikes by utility contractors during the past year occurred because the lines were at least two-feet away from where they were marked after the firms called 811 before digging, according to a new survey released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the results made it clear that even though contractors are using the 811 system, utility companies need to be timelier and more accurate in marking the locations of their lines.
“Contractors are doing their part to make sure they avoid striking utility lines while they are working,” said Jeffrey Shoaf, the association’s chief executive officer. “But it is hard to avoid hitting a line if the utility company says it is one place, when it is really somewhere else.”
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