Annual Verification

2023 MS811 Membership Information

Membership Fees: Annual billing is in November. The billing is based on the total number of locate request tickets delivered to the member from November 1st of the prior year to October 31st of the current year. The fee structure is set by the board of directors each year. The rate per locate request ticket is set annually based on MS811 operating budget costs. The rate for the 2023 billing period is $1.77. MS811’s funding portion of the rate is $1.76, and the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board (UFDPB)’s funding portion is $0.01. Members who choose to receive by fax will be charged an additional $0.50/per locate request, per fax number/receiver on top of the current approved ticket price.

Locate Request Delivery: The utility owner/operator (member) must furnish and maintain an automated method of receiving locate request tickets (email, FTP, fax, etc.). The methods used must be accessible 24 hours a day.

After-Hours Emergency Locate Requests: The member must provide after-hours emergency contact information. MS811 will contact the phone number provided if an emergency locate request is reported between the hours of 5:00 pm and 7:00 am, Monday through Friday, 24 hours a day on weekends and MS811 observed holidays.

Audit Reports: MS811 will automatically send the member an “Audit Report” between the hours of midnight and 3:00 am each day. This report lists all the locate request numbers that were sent to the member the day before.

Service Area Database:  MS811 notifies its members of locate requests based on the member’s service area database and the work area location information provided by the excavator. Members are required to submit and maintain an accurate service area database with MS811. The service area is a buffered (radius) area or polygon boundary around the geographic locations in which infrastructure exists including lines that run underground or into rivers, lakes, ponds, the gulf, etc. All service area information must be submitted through the MS811 Service Area Editor (SAE). SAE is an online tool that allows members to create, maintain, and edit as well as upload or download their underground service area information. Members may be charged a processing fee for service area updates submitted outside of SAE. The processing fee will be $80 per hour, with a minimum charge of $80 per update. These fees can be avoided by submitting all service area updates through SAE.

Locating Underground Utilities: “Working day” means a 24-hour period commencing from the locate request creation date/time (processed) in accordance with MS law excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. Upon receiving a locate request from MS811, the member is required by law to mark their underground infrastructure within the excavation area using stakes, paint, or other clearly identifiable materials using the MS law color code requirements. The member may also uncover or expose the underground infrastructure so the excavator may see its/their location. Some situations may require pointing out to the excavator of certain above-ground facilities such as, but not limited to, manhole covers, valve boxes, pipe risers, and cable risers, which indicate the location of underground infrastructure. Markings must be accurate in one of three ways: (a) within 18 inches measured horizontally from both outside edges of an operator’s facility; (b) a strip of land 18 inches on either side of the operator’s field mark; or (c) mark the width of the facility or line plus 18 inches on each side of the markings. The markings provided by operators shall only be valid for a period of 14 calendar days from the date and time the locate request is processed.

Locate Request Ticket Types:

The following ticket types are valid for 14 calendar days from the date/time they are processed and must be updated no less than 3 working days and no more than 4 working days prior to the expiration of the ticket.

• Normal – Standard locate request. Infrastructure must be located within 3 working days.
• Short Notice – The excavator has requested that the infrastructure be marked earlier than the required 3 working days; however, operators are not required to mark before 3 working days.
• Impending Emergency – The circumstances are potentially dangerous to life, health, property, or the loss of customer services, which would likely develop into an emergency if excavation is not initiated sooner than permitted under the standard notification requirements. The excavation can begin no less than 12 hours for requests submitted between 8:00 pm and 11:59 am and no sooner than 8:00 am the following calendar day for requests submitted between 12:00 pm and 7:59 pm. Any misrepresentation of an impending emergency excavation is a violation of the law.
• Emergency – Locate requests involving imminent/immediate danger to life, health, or property or a customer service outage. Infrastructure must be located within 3 working days. Any misrepresentation of an emergency excavation is a violation of the law.
• No Response – The excavator has waited the required 3 working days; however, the member has not responded. The member must contact the excavator within 2 hours and inform them of any infrastructure, active or abandoned at the site of excavation.
• Unmarked – The member has responded; however, the markings are incomplete. The member must contact the excavator within 2 hours and inform them of any infrastructure, active or abandoned at the site of excavation.
• Design – The member shall respond by one of the following methods within 7 working days: (a) marking their infrastructure (b) providing the excavator with the best available description of infrastructure in the area which may include drawings or other records maintained by the member; or (c) allowing the excavator or any other authorized person to inspect or copy the drawings or other records for all infrastructure in the area.

The following ticket type expires immediately and cannot be updated.

• Cancel Req – The excavator has requested that the locate request be

Locate Request Ticket Date/Times:

• Work On – When the excavator would like to have the lines located by and begin their work.
• Locate By – When the utilities must be located by law.
• Update From & Update To – The ticket can only be updated between these dates/times.
• Expires – When the locate request ticket will expire.

Positive Response Information System (PRIS): PRIS is an online automated information system operated and maintained by MS811, which allows excavators, locators, facility owners or operators, and other affected parties to enter and/or determine the status of a locate request. The member is required by law to submit locate status information through PRIS by the required locate by date/time.

Positive Response Actions: The following are the actions that the member will be able to select from when submitting a response.

• Located – The infrastructure has been marked.
• Clear – No infrastructure in the excavation area (No conflict). To prevent delays in work or possible infrastructure damage, always confirm there is no infrastructure in the excavation area before submitting a “Clear” response.
• On-Site Meeting Request – A representative has requested to be on-site during excavation. The operator may request to be present at the site upon commencement of the excavation, so long as the operator complies within 3 working days. MS811 will not set up meeting requests. It is the members’ responsibility to contact the excavator. It is recommended to add a callback number in the comments in case the excavator needs to reach the locator after initial contact.
• Locate Delayed – Infrastructure can only be located by excavation. A delay for any other reason is not in compliance with the law. It is recommended that the member enter a reason for the delay and a callback number in the comments. E.g.: “Utility can only be located by excavation”. Once the infrastructure has been located, a “Located” response must be submitted. Refer to Mississippi Code Ann. § 77-13-9(1)(c) for further information.
• Located To Meter Only – Private property beyond the meter not located. Most utility companies will only mark up to their meter or the property line if there is no meter. The landowner will be responsible for locating any underground utilities beyond that point.
• The following is a list of responses that are generated by the MS811 system.
• Overdue – A response was not submitted within the time required by law. A response must be submitted no later than 1 hour after the required locate by date/time on the locate request ticket or the system will automatically post an “Overdue” response status.
• No Response – A response was not submitted. If a response is not submitted before the locate ticket (or any renewed locate ticket if applicable) expires, the system will automatically post a “No Response” status within the hour following the expiration of the locate ticket (or any renewed locate ticket if applicable).
• Non-Participant – The member is not currently participating in Positive Response and is not in compliance with MS law. “Non-Participant” responses are automatically posted by the system as soon as a ticket is created.

Responding to Locate Requests:  Upon receiving a locate request the member must investigate the excavation site, mark the approximate location of the infrastructure, and report through PRIS, the status of the work performed, within 3 working days. The member must advise through PRIS if it does not have underground infrastructure in the excavation area or if the infrastructure can only be located by excavation, and it must include a note in the comments. The member shall be allowed a reasonable amount of additional time, not to exceed 4 working days from the day the original notice was provided, to mark the approximate location of the underground infrastructure if it can only be located by excavation. In lieu of marking the location of the buried infrastructure, the operator may request to be present at the site upon commencement of the excavation, so long as the operator complies within 3 working days of the receipt of the notice.  When an excavator sees evidence of or encounters unmarked lines within an excavation site, that excavator must immediately contact MS811. The members notified of unmarked lines by MS811 must contact the excavator within 2 hours and inform the excavator of any infrastructure, active or abandoned, at the site of excavation. Upon receiving a “Design” request, the member shall have 7 working days to respond by one of the following methods: (a) marking the approximate location of infrastructure. (b) providing the person making the request with the best available description of infrastructure in the area via drawings/records or copies of the drawings/records maintained by the member.  Locate responsibilities required by Mississippi law may be found in Mississippi Code Ann. § 77-13-9.

Please feel free to contact us at (601) 362-4322 or (601) 368-1150 should there be any questions about membership responsibilities or MS811 operations.

A complete copy of the Mississippi Excavation Law can be downloaded at https://www.msdamageprevention.com/law