|
JULIE, INC. RECEIVES RECORD NUMBER OF
UTILITY |
|
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2005 |
CONTACT: Kevin T. Chmura |
|
STATE OF ILLINOIS – Representatives of the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE, Inc.) announced today that the Illinois One-Call System received a record 1.2 million underground utility locate requests from professional excavators and homeowners in 2004. In addition, 30 new members joined the not-for-profit organization, increasing total membership to 1,770. Compared to the previous year, these totals represent increases of 5 percent and 2 percent, respectively. “Each year, more utility companies and municipalities that supply power, gas, water and telecommunications are delivering these services underground,” said Mark Frost, executive director of JULIE, Inc. “One free call can truly make a difference. The far-reaching consequences of unsafe or careless digging practices can take a staggering toll, in terms of costly delays, environmental or property damage, liability, personal injury and even loss of life.” JULIE, Inc. reached another milestone by distributing over 7.7 million underground utility locate requests to members in 2004. In addition, approximately 37 percent of the locate requests were entered directly by professional excavators via Web Remote Ticket Entry, a unique service that allows access to the JULIE system for frequent users. The following is a list of the top 20 counties in Illinois for locate requests from excavators in 2004: Cook; DuPage; Will; Lake; Kane; McHenry; St. Clair; Winnebago; Madison; Sangamon; Kendall; McLean; Champaign; Peoria; Tazewell; DeKalb; Kankakee; Rock Island; LaSalle; and Boone. JULIE, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation that provides professional and non-professional (i.e. homeowners) excavators with a toll-free number (1-800-892-0123) for the free locating and marking of underground facilities. JULIE, Inc. serves as a message handling, notification service for underground facility owners, taking information about planned excavations and distributing this information to its membership. It is then the responsibility of each facility owner to mark the location of their underground facilities at the excavation site. JULIE, Inc. neither owns nor marks any underground facilities. Call center operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about JULIE, along with a complete list of members by county and safety guidelines, please visit www.illinois1call.com
|
|