If you ‘see red,’ buried power lines are present
If you are digging and encounter a red caution tape, stop immediately! The tape is placed above buried power lines as a precaution. It may be irritating to put the brakes on your home improvement project, but it’s better to ‘see red’ than to be dead.
Before you begin a project, such as installing a new fence, planting shrubbery or trees, take into account that underground electric service or other utility lines may be present. If you’re not absolutely sure where any underground lines are located on your property, call South Carolina 811 at 1-888-721-7877 or, just call 811, and you’ll be automatically connected. They’ll send someone to locate underground lines for you, free of charge.
Otherwise, under state law, you can be held liable for damages to the electric service or other buried utilities and required to cover repair costs. That’s bad enough but not as bad as causing a power outage — or even fatalities, including your own!
