Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS)

OUPS - Call Before You Dig

Putting in a deck? Planting a tree? Just remember that state law requires that you call 48 hours before you dig. This free call can help protect your family and neighbors from serious legal, financial and most importantly physical harm resulting from damaging a buried utility line.

Wadsworth Electric is a member of OUPS, a state-run agency that provides free locating service of all underground utilities. Just call before you dig at least 48 hours in advance: 800-362-2764. The OUPS state-of-the-art call center operates 24-hours a day 7-days a week answering calls from anyone who intends to dig in the state of Ohio. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, the OUPS call center answers an average of 3,000 phone calls a day. A new operating system was implemented in 1999 that allows the operator to view a map in an effort to provide the most accurate locate possible. OUPS has more than 50 operators dedicated to answering all incoming calls within 20 seconds. Contractor ID numbers have been added to expedite the ticket-taking process.

Uniform Color Code

  • Red - Electric Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting CablesCall 811 Before You Dig
  • Yellow - Gas,  Oil, Steam, Petroleum or Gaseous Materials
  • Orange - Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit
  • Blue - Water, Irrigation, and Slurry Lines
  • Green - Sewers and Drain Lines
  • Pink - Temporary Survey Markings
  • White - Proposed Excavation

Further Information

For more information, visit the OUPS website.