Homeowners Experience Delays With CenturyLink Marking Yards For Digging Projects

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) --  It's the time of year when many of us plan projects that involve digging in our yard.

Before you dig, you need to contact utility companies. They come out to mark your lawn for important areas to avoid.

It's usually a simple process for homeowners but it has been a problem for some this spring.

It typically takes two days for utility companies to come mark water, gas and electric lines after homeowners submit a request, but when St. Paul homeowner Julia Dady wanted to plant a sugar maple tree in her front yard, it turned into a headache and revealed a larger problem with CenturyLink.

"I used to have a great big oak tree there," said Dady

Like many, Dady was eager to start on her spring project.

"The last couple of years I've been wanting to plant a tree to replace it," said Dady.

Before planting, Dady called for utility companies to come mark her yard. Most arrived in two or three days, but CenturyLink took longer.

"The woman said that someone would call me back within an hour. I never heard back from anybody," Dady said. "I thought well maybe they'll come early Friday and by 9 a.m. nobody had showed up."

It took one week and several calls for CenutryLink to arrive.

"If I hadn't made those extra phone calls or contacts i may have still been waiting," said Dady.

The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety says it is investigating other complaints against CenturyLink:

"The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS) has been notified about an industrywide issue regarding utility locate requests involving CenturyLink telecommunication facilities. A MNOPS inspector is investigating the complaints. MNOPS will send a notice of probable violation for complaints in which a state statute is violated. Violations of Minnesota Statute 216D can warrant civil penalties up to $1,000 for each violation per day of violation. MNOPS staff continue to be in contact with CenturyLink regarding these issues."

CenturyLink is apologizing in statement to WCCO:

"As of April 1, we changed locate contractors. Our vendor's unanticipated staffing issues have impacted our install and construction schedules. CenturyLink is training a large number of our technicians in order to address this issue. We are working as quickly as possible to address the current backlog. We apologize for any inconveniences our customers may be experiencing."

Dady just hopes this won't delay any other spring projects.

"My tree is planted so I'm happy now but I'm concerned with other people who may not know this is a problem," said Dady.

If you're experiencing delays and have already contacted the utility company, customers can fill out a complaint form on MNOPS.