To prevent accidental dig-ins of underground utilities, call the Utility Notification Center at least 3 working days before your digging project and a public utility locator will come out and locate the underground line(s). It’s a free service and is required by law. If you dig into and interrupt power or water service, it will be restored at your cost if a line locate was not requested.
A public utility locator is a professional who specializes in identifying the location of underground utilities owned by public utilities. These utilities may include gas, water, sewer, electrical, and telecommunications lines that are owned and maintained by local government entities or public service companies.
The Utility Notification Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and accepts calls from contractors, homeowners, or anyone planning to dig. Locate requests are accepted over the phone, through a fax-a-locate program, or through the ITIC program. If you need to process a locate request, or need additional information about locates, you may contact the Utility Notification Center at any time at (800) 424-5555 or 811.
While the law requires that public utilities be marked prior to digging, the majority of underground utilities are privately owned and not required to be marked by 811 locators.
You may require a private utility locator to find and demarcate underground electrical lines, gas pipes, and more, on private, residential, commercial, and municipal land. Private utilities are the lines that run beyond the service meter.
Below is a pdf of private utility locators that work in Washington State. It is the customer’s responsibility to contact a private locator to identify any service lines.
Private Utilities Locator List (PDF)