April is Safe Digging Month: Summit Utilities Oklahoma Urges Customers to Call 811 Before They Dig

Lawton, Oklahoma (April 10, 2025) – April is National Safe Digging Month, and Summit Utilities (Summit) is reminding customers across Oklahoma to protect themselves and their communities by notifying 811 before starting any digging project.

Whether you are planting a tree, building a fence, or taking on a bigger landscaping project, contacting 811 before you dig is not just smart, it’s the law. In Oklahoma, homeowners and contractors must call three working days before digging.

“When you contact 811, utility operators come out and mark their underground facilities so you can dig safely without risking serious injury or service disruptions,” said Fred Kirkwood, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Summit. “A phone call to 811 can prevent accidents and keep your home and neighborhood safe.”

Even small projects can pose big risks. Accidentally hitting a buried utility line can result in expensive repairs, outages, and even serious injuries. That is why Summit urges customers to hand dig, which means to use manual tools like a shovel, within 18 inches of utility marks and avoid using mechanized equipment when working within a foot and a half to those areas.

Here’s what to remember:

• Call 811 before you dig. It is free and easy.
• Wait for utility lines to be marked to know what is underground.
• Respect the marks and always dig with care.

Learn more about how 811 works and how to dig safely at www.811beforeyoudig.com and  summitutilities.com/safety/call-before-you-dig.