Call Before You Dig
holes to insert bait stations? If you answered yes to any of these
questions you may be in violation of state law. Below is a brief
overview of the Delaware legislation. You can be fined up to $2,500
per violation. Please read it and go to the links provided for further
information. Remember: Call Before You Dig... It's The Law!
Time between locate requests and site marking: Excavators in Delaware
are to give notice two (2) full working days prior to the day they plan to
start work. The day of the call is not counted as one of these days.
Ticket life: 10 business days
Required hand-digging distance: 24 inches
Penalties for violating the Miss Utility laws: Actual repair costs and civil
penalties up to $2,500 per violation as well as up to three times the
actual repair cost of the damaged utilities, plus punitive damages up to
$10,000 per incident.
Delaware Law
The Delaware law defines the term excavate or excavation as follows:
6) "Excavate" or "excavation" shall mean any operation in which earth,
rock or other material in the ground is moved, removed or otherwise
displaced or disturbed by means of any tools, equipment or explosives
and includes, without limitation, grading, trenching, digging, dredging,
ditching, drilling, augering, tunnelling, boring, backfilling, post
pounding, driving objects into the ground, installation of form pins,
hammering, scraping, cable or pipe plowing or driving, but does not
include the surface cultivation of the soil for agricultural purposes, such
as tilling, or patch-type paving where the same, including cutback, does
not exceed 12 inches in depth measured from the surface of the
pavement being patched. (Del. State Law § 802. Definitions )
Please note that other states have similar laws.
The Miss Utility call center processes locate requests for Maryland,
Delaware, and Washington, D.C.
Visit Miss Utility at www.missutility.net
Administrative Line: 410-712-0056
Locate Requests: 800-257-7777
General Manager: Dora Parks
Office Manager: Candace Hall
Customer Relations: Matt Ruddo
