As homeowners and workers gear up for summertime construction, they should remember to call 800-242-1776 three days before excavating with power tools.

A state, not-for-profit company, Pennsylvania One Call System, set up that number in 1972 to help excavators avoid gas, electric, pipeline, water, cable and telecommunications lines.

By law, excavators have to call to avoid damaging these lines.

Last year, about 650,000 calls were taken in the state, almost 11,000 of those from Butler County, said Dan Lucarelli, director of marketing and education for the company.

According to a news release, calling that number to learn where utility lines are reduces job injuries and deaths and protects the environment.

Among professionals who call are contractors, plumbers, builders, designers and the general public.

Excavators using power tools to dig should call three business days before the project, and mark the exact digging site with white lines. State workers then arrive and mark where the utility lines are.

Lucarelli also recommends the free service to homeowners doing projects that do not involve power tools. For example, a homeowner may want to install a fence with a post hole digger.

While the call is not required for that task, it is safer, said Lucarelli.