Norris Electric Cooperative is a member of the Illinois 1 Call system. If you are planning to dig, whether on your property or as an excavator on a job, you are responsible for contacting the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE) to ensure all underground utility services are located before you dig.
Contacting JULIE before you dig is the law. Besides, digging responsibly is the 
smartest way to dig. The impact of unsafe or careless digging practices is real and often costly - in terms of personal injury and damage to underground utility lines, property and the environment. The call is free and so are the services.
According to state law, the person actually doing the digging is required to call JULIE with the locate request information at least 48 hours (two working days, excludes weekends and holidays) in advance of the start of excavation. You will be provided with a dig number for your records. You must begin your project within 14 days from the time you call and if you want to start your project over the weekend, remember to contact JULIE, Inc. by Wednesday at 4 p.m.
In order to help the utility locator properly identify your project area, JULIE recommends that you mark the area where you will be digging with white paint and/or flags.
Checklist for a Locate Request
- Your name, address, a phone number at which you can be reached and a fax and/or pager number, if available, as well as an e-maill address;
- County and city or county and unincorporated area of township;
- Location at which the excavation will take place, which may include but not limited to, address, cross street (within 1/4 mile), subdivision name, etc.;
- Start date and time of the planned excavation;
- Type and extent (size of excavation area) of the work involved, including if white paint, flags or stakes were used to outline the proposed excavation area; and
- Section and quarter section number (if available).
For your convenience, JULIE has developed a handbook for excavators.
Within two (2) working days of your contact with JULIE, a representative from each member utility company (not a JULIE staff person) will mark the location of their underground facilities with paint and/or flags at the excavation site. Make sure that your property is accessible. The utilities are only required to mark the facilities that they own, not privately installed or owned lines or facilities. Privately owned services may include water and sewer services, as well as electric and gas lines to a garage or workshop.
Remember, you may not begin your excavation before the dig start time of your ticket, even if all utilities have been marked. However, your excavation project must begin within 14 days of your contact with JULIE.