A 'Call Before You Dig' Number

If you're planning home improvements this summer, the first thing on your to-do list should be to dial 811. By calling the new, national "Call Before You Dig" number, launched this spring by the Common Ground Alliance, homeowners can get their underground utility lines marked for free and avoid problems. More than 700,000 incidents of utility damage occur each year, according to the alliance.

Whether you're building an addition, adding a deck, installing a fence or irrigation system, putting up a mailbox or simply planting a tree, an 811 call before embarking on any digging can prevent personal injury, potential fines, repair costs and the disruption of service to an entire neighborhood.

As the Web site suggests, do you really want to be the one who takes out your neighbor's power lines or cable connection the day of "The Sopranos" series finale?

Visit http://www.call811.com for more information, and remember: Call a few days before your scheduled project to allow time for the request to be processed.

Terri Sapienza