When I walk with Missy in the warmer months, it can be a colorful experience.

“See, those red marks mean there’s a power line down there,” I tell her as we stroll past the official street graffiti, her small hand in mine. “That yellow line – see that? – that’s for gas. And that blue one’s got a water pipe …”

Once you start looking for them, they seem to be all over the place. Painted lines on the street. Colored flags in a yard. They’re called “locates” and there’s a whole list of meanings for what they indicate, from phone or internet lines (orange) to sewer pipes (green) to irrigation (purple).

But when you come down to it, they really all mean the same thing: DON’T DIG HERE!

Locates are part of the Colorado 811 program, also known as “Call Before You Dig” or even “Click Before You Dig.” The idea is simple: if you’re going to be doing any digging, whether it’s landscaping in the yard or construction work in the streets, you need to call ahead so that the utility lines can be marked.

Why? Because when they’re not marked, it’s easy for accidents to happen … and it’s dangerous and expensive to dig into utility lines. It could mean knocking out internet service to your entire neighborhood. Or interrupting water service on the hottest day of the summer. Or even endangering your life by hitting a gas or high-power electric line.

So think ahead. Three business days before you do any excavation, make sure to either call 811 or go online to https://www.colorado811.org/idig811/ to request a locate. (And if you need more information, our own Before You Dig page is a great place to start.) They’ll mark things up, you’ll dig things up and everyone will be safe and happy.

In fact, you’ll probably come through with flying colors.