KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Weather is warming up across East Tennessee, which means more people are planning outdoor projects like building new pools or porches.
However, the Knoxville Utilities Board is warning people about getting started on major landscaping projects without planning ahead, and urging people to be careful not to damage buried utility lines. There could be some underneath a home's lawn, which major landscaping projects could damage.
They said people should call 811 for information about possible utility lines on their property before getting started on a major project.
"This is a nationwide service that you can just make one call, and what they're going to do is take some information about your project and they will contact the utilities that might have buried lines in your area," said Stephanie Midgett, who works with KUB. "That's not just water and electric. It could even be communications."
After calling 811, crews can also come out to your property and mark utility lines to make it easier to avoid them while working on a major project.
And if a person accidentally nicks a utility line while working on their project, officials said they should just leave the area and call their utility company. They said people should not try to fix damaged lines themselves.