09-05-2025
Amendment to Illinois dig law requires property owners to pre-mark site
PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) — If you've thought about putting in a new fence, or maybe even a new birdfeeder, you have to call before you dig.
After an amendment to the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act, a law requiring a call to 811 before digging, now requires property owners to pre-mark their dig site.
Still, calling someone to come out and pre-mark your dig site, while required by law, is easy on your pocketbook.
'Even though it's the law, it's the cheapest insurance you can buy,' said Jake Dukett, supervisor of gas public awareness for Ameren Illinois. 'It's free. It doesn't cost anything. It just takes a little bit of pre-planning.'
Ameren Illinois Employees volunteer at Dream Center Peoria
According to Ameren, someone makes contact with an underground utility every six minutes because they didn't call 811 before their shovel went int the ground.
This next step allows for even more safety precaution, as the groundwork can be laid out easier.
'It can be as simple as just drawing an X If you're planting a bush, painting a white line of where you're going to extend your fence, or if we're going to add a mailbox, anything like that,' said Dukett. 'It doesn't take very much time at all.'
Another change because of the amendment requires three days of preparation when a dig ticket is called in, not including the day the call is made.
To learn more about the safety precautions when it comes to digging, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
