Before any excavation, which agency must be notified?

• A. the EPA
• B. department of transportation
• C. county sewer department
• D. Utilities Protection Service

Answer: (D)

Before you start digging, you need to alert the central utility location service so all buried lines can be marked. That safety step is handled by the Utilities Protection Service, which coordinates marking electricity, gas, water, telecom, and other underground utilities for your area. Calling UPS (or your state’s one-call center) helps prevent damaging lines, leaks, service outages, and injuries.

The other agencies aren’t responsible for coordinating underground utility markings across all utilities: the EPA focuses on environmental protection, the Department of Transportation handles road-related issues, and the county sewer department deals mainly with sewer lines, not every buried utility.