Buried power, gas, fiber and water lines are everywhere: under yards, along roads, and across pastures where you’d never expect them. Hitting one can mean an injury, an outage for the whole neighborhood, and a repair bill. In South Dakota, getting lines marked before you dig is the law, and it’s free.
When to call
South Dakota law requires anyone digging, homeowners included, to contact South Dakota 811 at least two working days before starting. Weekends and holidays don’t count, so call on Wednesday or earlier for a Monday dig, and earlier still before a holiday.
You can call 811 or file the request online at sd811.com. You’ll be asked for the address or location, where on the property you’re digging, what you’re doing, and when you plan to start. Marking the dig area with white paint or flags beforehand makes it clear to the locators.
What needs a locate
Any job that breaks ground, even small ones:
- Fence posts and corner posts
- Trees and shrubs
- Mailboxes and sign posts
- Decks, sheds and garage footings
- Sprinkler systems, French drains and landscaping
- Water lines, septic systems and culverts
What the colors mean
Locators mark the approximate location of their lines with paint, flags or both, using a standard color code:
| Color | What’s buried |
|---|---|
| Red | Electric power |
| Yellow | Gas, oil, steam |
| Orange | Communications: phone, cable, fiber |
| Blue | Drinking water |
| Purple | Reclaimed water, irrigation |
| Green | Sewer and storm drains |
| Pink | Temporary survey marks |
| White | Proposed excavation (your dig area) |
What 811 doesn’t mark
811 sends the utility companies that have lines in the area. Private lines aren’t theirs to mark. That usually includes:
- Power from the house to a shop, barn, garage or yard light
- Water lines from a well or the meter to outbuildings and stock tanks
- Sprinkler and irrigation lines
- Gas lines from the meter to a grill, heater or second building
- Septic lines and drain fields
- Anything you or a previous owner put in yourselves
For private lines, hire a private locating service, or use what you know about where they run. Records and sketches from when they went in help.
Digging near the marks
- Wait until every utility has responded before you dig.
- The marks show an approximate location, not an exact one. Near them, dig by hand or expose the line carefully (often called potholing) before bringing in a machine.
- Don’t remove the flags or paint until the job is done.
- Marks fade and get mowed. If yours are gone, or the job is delayed, contact 811 again.
If you hit a line
- Gas: if you smell gas or hear a hiss, leave the area right away, don’t start equipment or anything that could spark, and call 911 and the gas company from a safe distance.
- Power: stay clear of the line and anything touching it, and call 911 and the power company.
- Any line, even if it seems fine: call the utility owner. A nicked coating or a dented pipe can fail later.
Hiring a contractor?
Ask whether they call in the locates. A contractor should file its own ticket for its own dig. Black River Contracting calls in locates through 811 before every job. See utility installation or request a quote.
