The below article was provided by Xcel Energy.
ST PAUL, Minn. - The safest and only legal way to dig is to know what’s below ground before your shovel or equipment moves any dirt. Even small projects like planting a shrub require you to make advance arrangements before digging. Your advance call to 8-1-1 helps you learn where utility-owned lines and equipment are buried before you turn the earth.
Your call to 8-1-1 connects you with your state’s “one-call center,” which arranges, at no cost to you, for utilities like us to locate and mark our buried utilities in your dig area. We will send a professional to locate our natural gas and electric lines. Please note that utilities are not able to locate lines that a customer installed and owns, such as a natural gas or electric line that provides fuel or power to an outdoor grill, lighting, etc.
After you make the call to 8-1-1:
Mark the area where you’ll dig with white paint or flags
Wait your state’s required time before digging to allow time for utility owners to locate their buried lines. State laws vary from 48 to 72 hours, and most exclude weekends and legal holidays. Minnesota's wait time is two days.
Respect the marks – colored flags, paint or stakes – that indicate a buried line (red for electric and yellow for gas).
Then dig with care. Avoid digging near the marks; review your state’s required “dig by hand” distance requirement if you must dig close to the marks.
And before you dig again, be aware that the professional location markings are good only for a specific time.
To reach Minnesota's underground utility service/one-call center or to request location markings, call 8-1-1 or visit their website
