Overview

Diggers Hotline is a statewide one-call system that provides excavators and the general public the ability to inform multiple owners of underground facilities of planned excavation. Calling Diggers Hotline to properly locate underground lines is crucial to protecting not only your safety, but the safety of your family, neighbors, and the general public. 

Requirements

Wisconsin Statute 182.0175 ​requires you to:

• Notify Diggers Hotline at least 3 days before you excavate, grade, trench, dig, drill, augur, tunnel, scrape, plow cable or pipe.
  
• Maintain an 18-inch buffer zone on each side of a marked facility.
  
• No mechanized equipment can be used within the buffer zone; only hand digging is allowed. Excavation, according to the law, means anything that moves, removes, or displaces earth,​ rock or other material in or on the ground.
  
• Avoid ground disturbance until the property is marked by either the utility or the utility's contractor within three working days. The law requires it to be done within 72 hours unless the request falls within a weekend or holiday. The start date and time listed on the locate request is when the utility or the utility's contractor is required to have the marking completed on a standard locate request.
  
• If the utility fails to respond by the start date indicated on the ticket, the resident may file a "No-Show Relocate" ticket by calling 811.
  
• Provide a repeat notice to the one-call system if marks are destroyed or covered by excavation site activities, if the excavation does not start within 10 days of the scheduled start date or if excavation is interrupted for more than 10 days.
  

​​​Enforcement Center

Violations of Wisconsin Statute 182.0175 can be reported to the Diggers Hotline Enforcement Center​. The enforcement center is not typically for residential use, and submissions will only be accepted from the department of transportation or a political subdivision, a transmission facility owner, excavator or undergoround line locator whose property or activities are affected by an alleged violation of Wis Stat. s. 182.0175.

If probable cause is found, a panel of Diggers Hotline stakeholders will decide between education and referral to the PSC. If referred to the PSC, a PSC investigation will determine if there was a violation of the law and any subsequent legal action or fines. Submission against state agencies must be filed directly with the PSC Consumer Affairs​, not through Diggers Hotline. ​​