Tennessee 811

Beautiful weather means getting out there and getting it done.

✅ Sunshine
✅ Gloves
✅ Hat
✅ Cold Drink
🟩 811 (The most important one!)

If you have a summer project that is going to involve digging, contact 811 ✅ at least 72 hours before your project (excluding weekends and holidays). We will notify your local utilities to come out and mark their facilities so you Know What's Below!

https://www.tenn811.com/before-you-dig

Just an average day for the Damage Prevention Liaison team.

Yesterday, our team represented Tennessee 811 across the state at meetings, safety events, and industry conferences, including:

- Joint Safety Day with Consolidated Utility District and Murfreesboro Water Resources Department
- Legislative Alert Luncheon sponsored by NUCA Tennessee in Knoxville with Tennessee Senator Becky Massey
- Tennessee Water and Wastewater Association meeting at the Smyrna Water Plant in Smyrna,
- Tennessee Broadband Association Annual Conference in Franklin
- West Tennessee Gas Association Meeting in Jackson

Damage prevention happens through education, partnerships, and showing up where the conversations are happening.

View upcoming events:
https://www.tenn811.com/calendar-of-events

What is an Emergency Locate Request Ticket?

An Emergency Locate Request is used only when the situation meets Tennessee’s legal definition of an emergency under Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-31-102(11).

An emergency means a sudden or unforeseen occurrence involving one or more of the following:

- A clear and imminent danger to life, health, or property
- An interruption of utility services requiring repair or restoration
- Repairs to transportation facilities that require immediate action

Misrepresenting an emergency may violate Tenn. Code Ann. § 65-31-109(b) and may result in civil penalties under § 65-31-112, including:

- Required compliance training
- Civil penalties up to $10,000 per incident
- Up to $15,000 per incident for gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct

Member Monday! Our Damage Prevention Liaisons are each responsible for a division of the state — West, Middle, and East — and make it a point to check in, in person, with our member utilities several times each year.

https://www.tenn811.com/liaison

Member visits are a highlight of the Damage Prevention Liaison role, from small rural towns to our biggest cities.

Here are a few visits we made last week (pictures taken by our liaison team):

• Cookeville Gas — Cookeville, TN
• Cumberland Plateau Water Authority — Crossville, TN
• City of Memphis Traffic Signal — Memphis, TN

What is a Short Notice locate request? It is not what most people think...

Our Damage Prevention Liaisons are each responsible for a division of the state — West, Middle, and East — and make it a point to check in, in person, with our member utilities several times each year.

https://www.tenn811.com/liaison

It might be a quick “hello” while dropping off Safe Digging brochures for a front counter, or it could be a sit-down meeting to discuss any number of issues related to utility damages or use of the 811 system. Member visits are a highlight of the Damage Prevention Liaison role, from small rural towns to our biggest cities.

Here are a few visits we made last week (pictures taken by our liaison team):

• Unicoi County Gas — Erwin, TN
• Johnson City Water & Sewer — Johnson City, TN
• Brownlow Utility District — Mountain City, TN

Tolerance Zone! Tennessee has a 24 inch tolerance zone when working around marked underground utilities. The zone is equal to the width of an underground utility line plus 24 inches on each side of the marking or specified utility width. It is measured from the outside edge of paint and flag markings, unless the width of the line is noted. Avoid using mechanized equipment, like backhoes, mini excavators, augers, directional drilling/boring rigs, etc., in this zone.

If you must dig within the tolerance zone, utilize hand digging, vacuum excavation, or other soft digging methods to expose the marked line without causing damage.

Using mechanized equipment within the tolerance zone could result in a violation of the Tennessee Underground Damage Prevention Act to include monetary penalties and ordered training (Reference TN Code § 65-31-108).

We are officially three months away from the Global Damage Prevention Summit to be held right here in Nashville, Tennessee! Join damage prevention professionals, utility representatives, contractors, excavators, vendors, 811 centers, and industry leaders from across the country for several days of education, networking, and collaboration.

This event is an opportunity to learn from others in the industry, share best practices, explore new technologies, and stay informed on issues impacting damage prevention nationwide.

General event information and registration:
https://actsnowinc.com/globaldps

Agenda at a glance:
https://actsnowinc.com/globaldps -at-a-glance

Cinco de Mayo is full of color, and so is safe digging. It is the perfect time to introduce Tennessee 811’s updated uniform color code identification card (2026), now available in a new bilingual English/Spanish design to help homeowners and professional excavators identify utility markings and where to dig safely.
The card also includes a newly added visual guide to Tennessee’s tolerance zone law for digging around marked utilities.