A tree stump growing around a water main on South Jefferson responsible for a water outage Monday.
Water Quality Department Director Barry Turner said the decision to assess contractors for damages relies on whether contractors used the Tennessee One Call, or the “call before you dig” number.
“Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, it’s 811 you may hear it referred to,” Turner said. “It’s where anyone digging has to call and get the lines located. It gives the utility time to get out there and find where their lines are located to try and prevent damage.”
Turner said if the company didn’t use the One Call, the city would likely assess them for damages. He said years ago, the phone number was not used nearly as much as it is today.
Turner said these types of accidents aren’t common, but they do happen from time to time. He said typically lines will break if hit directly, which can be avoided with careful digging and sometimes even hand digging.
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