Call Before You Dig Graphic

Call 811 Before You Dig

Dial 811 before doing any digging more than 18-inches deep. Calls must be made at least two business days prior to the project start date. Be prepared to give the operator the start date, duration, and location of the project along with the address and nearest street intersection.

Your call will be routed to a local 'one-call' center. Tell the operator where you’re planning to dig and what type of work you will be doing, and all affected local utilities will be notified. In a few days, a locator will arrive to designate the approximate location of any underground lines, pipes, and cables with flags or marking paint so you know what is below. Primary or secondary electric lines that are located from the right of way to the transformer belong to Northern Electric Cooperative and can be located at no cost to the member.

Locating Private Electric Lines

The 811 service only requires Northern Electric to locate cooperative-owned lines. Northern Electric will locate privately-owned electric lines but there is a fee for the service. This fee is small compared to the cost of accidentally hitting a line and causing an injury or an outage. Any wires located beyond the meter point belong to the member. If a member needs these lines to be located a call needs to be placed to Northern Electric Cooperative directly at 605-225-0310 to schedule an appointment. These lines are not located unless a direct call is made to Northern Electric to locate them.

Utility vs. Private Underground Graphic
This graphic identifies the difference between utility-owned lines and privately-owned lines.