Call Before You Dig

Underground power lines are just as dangerous as overhead power lines.

Know What's Below

Don't assume you know what's below. Underground power lines are just as dangerous as overhead power lines. Avoid serious injury and property damage by calling 8-1-1 before you dig to have underground facilities located and marked. Call Gopher State One Call or 8-1-1 at least two business days prior to digging.

By digging responsibly, you're protecting yourself, the public and underground facilities you may not be aware of.

Before you dig, you are required by law to contact the underground locating service by dialing 8-1-1 at least 48 hours in advance (not including weekends or holidays). Many of Roseau Electric’s power lines are buried underground, and an underground power line can be just as dangerous as an overhead power line. Protect yourself and your property by contacting Gopher State One Call before digging.

Have the following information ready before calling:

  • Your name, address and telephone number
  • The type of work you will be doing
  • The address, county and intersecting street of the dig location
  • Where you will be digging on the property
  • When you plan to dig
  • Mark the dig area with white paint or stakes before locators arrive
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Contact Gopher State One Call

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Gopher State One Call Handbook

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what does not get marked by gopher state one call?
PRIVATE FACILITIES

Some underground lines in your work area may not be utility owned. These are considered private facilities and will NOT be marked by public utilities. Types of private facilities include, but are not limited to, electricity to outbuildings, invisible fences, fiber optic lines and septic systems. If you think you may have private facilities that need to be located, you should contact a private utility locator to identify and locate them.

In Roseau Electric Cooperative's service area, members may contact our line department at 218-463-1543, and our locators will locate the lines for a fee.
What are considered private facilities?

Private underground facilities, or consumer-owned facilities, are those facilities that were installed behind or after the meter. Also, if overhead distribution lines serve the property and the power is then distributed on the property by underground service facilities, those service facilities may be considered private. If the homeowner’s electric meter is located on the property line, then that electric line from the meter to the house is considered privately owned and will not be located.

Private facilities can include: natural gas farm taps, natural gas or propane gas underground piping to buildings, gas grills and pool heaters, private water systems, data communication lines, underground sprinkler systems, invisible fences and many others.

Where are private facilities found?

Private facilities are found everywhere, including single-family homes, multi-family housing units, industrial areas, trailer parks, shopping centers and sometimes in the road right-of-way.

Other private facilities can include: natural gas farm taps, natural gas or propane gas underground piping to buildings, gas grills and pool heaters, private water systems, data communication lines, underground sprinkler systems, invisible fences and many others.

Unless the property owner participates as a member of Gopher State One Call, private or customer-owned facilities will not be marked or notified. If you have a question on whether a facility in your excavation area is considered private or not, please contact that local utility office.

Whose responsibility is it to locate private facilities?

When a property owner or tenant has any type of private underground facility, they are responsible to locate those facilities, or hire someone to locate them.

Within the Roseau Electric service area you may contact our line department at 218-463-1543, and our locators will locate the lines for a fee.

Who can I contact to locate my private facilities?
Cooperative Development logo

Within the Roseau Electric service area you may contact Cooperative Development at 218-444-1143, and their locators will locate the lines for a fee.

Cooperative Development provides residential and commercial directional drilling services and private locating services in north central Minnesota. Their experienced crew can help you with all of your directional drilling needs for water and sewer lines, sprinkler systems, underground power lines and more.

If you come in contact with an underground utility, evacuate the area for safety, notify your utility provider and DO NOT attempt to fix the problem yourself.  If you are in an excavator or machine, stay in the machine until the utility arrives and ensures you can safely exit the machine.
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contact gopher state one call
Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
8-1-1 or 1-800-252-1166
  • Submit and manage tickets
  • Search ticket status
  • GSOC services are FREE for homeowners
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Color coding for safe digging
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