NC811: Call Before you Dig
BACKGROUND
UNC Greensboro is crisscrossed with numerous utilities which support campus operation and the surrounding community. These utilities may be owned by one or more entities. The 811-phone number was created to alert utility owners to excavations. This system, in coordination with the UNC Greensboro Facilities Operations and the GIS Unit, minimizes the chance a utility line may be cut.
WHAT IS NC811?
North Carolina 811 is a non-profit organization which alerts utility owners of excavations which may impact their utilities. One of the duties of the GIS Unit is to receive and respond to NC811 tickets on projects which may impact underground utilities. Anyone performing any work which requires digging on the UNC Greensboro campus must contact the NC811 center by dialing 811. NC811 sends an alert to utility owners who may be impacted by an excavation.
HOW IS GIS (GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM) USED?
The GIS Unit will receive an alert indicating the caller’s organization and the location of the excavation. Using a digital map database of underground utilities, the location will be identified, and a response submitted to the contractor. If the excavation will impact campus utilities, the information is passed to the campus Utility Manager who will arrange to have campus underground utilities located and marked. Utility locators use color to mark the location of underground utilities. For safety, it is important that the color markings are not disturbed.
Projects may require the closure of roads, walkways, and entrances which will impede travel. Any locations which are closed off will be indicated on the Campus Construction Alerts interactive map (see below). After the utilities are marked, typically within 3 days of the call, GIS personnel will review the markings and compare them to the locations in the GIS database.
WHO SHOULD CALL?
Anyone who will dig, bore, or otherwise disturb the ground.
- Facilities staff performing work on campus.
- Contractors performing the work for UNC Greensboro.
- Utility owners with utilities going through or near the campus.
- Home or business owners doing their own work.
NC811 INFORMAtION
Information on NC811:
- North Carolina 811 →
- North Carolina 811 Education Resources →
- National 811, Call before you dig. →
- Campus Construction Alerts Map →
- Facilities Maps and Dashboards (Facilities Access Only) →
