Notice to Contractors - Before You Call 811 for Emergency Locate
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORSBefore You Call 811 for Emergency Locate — Is It Really an Emergency?
Submitting a ticket as an emergency that does not meet the legal definition is punishable by criminal penalties. Repeated instances of filing emergency tickets that do not meet the legal definition of an emergency may result in a complaint being filed with the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
All violations need to be reported to the Attorney General’s Office.
An Emergency Locate Request is defined as and will only be accepted and processed as the following: a clear and present danger to life, health, or property or which demands immediate action to prevent or repair a major service outage. Poor planning on the part of the excavator DOES NOT constitute an emergency. If your request does not fall within the parameters of a defined emergency — you will be required to wait 48 hours or until all facilities have been located prior to any excavation activity.
EXAMPLES OF EMERGENCY LOCATE REQUESTS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
- Blowing or leaking gas lines
- Repairing downed fence that secures livestock
- Repairing water lines that serve large facilities (nursing homes, hospitals, schools)
- Repairing crucial cable or fiber serving business/industry/911 centers
EXAMPLES OF NON-EMERGENCY REQUESTS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
- Installation or repair of fence on personal property
- Repair or installation of underground sprinklers
- Installing cable for personal residence
- Planting trees or any landscaping
For more information or questions regarding this matter, please contact the Texas Railroad Commission at (877) 228-5740 or online at www.rrc.state.tx.us.