STATE OF ILLINOIS – Over the past 10 years, the number of underground utility locate requests from professional excavators and homeowners to JULIE, Inc. has increased over 70 percent in the state of Illinois, according to representatives of the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators (JULIE, Inc.).  Since its inception in 1974, JULIE, Inc. has logged over 16.6 million calls and its annual call volume makes it one of the largest industry one-call systems in the United States. 

JULIE, Inc. announced today that the not-for-profit organization received a record 1.22 million underground utility locate requests from excavators in 2005.  The Joliet-based, notification system reached another milestone by distributing over 7.94 million requests to its 1,700 utility members during the same period.  Compared to the previous year, these totals represent approximate increases of two and three percent, respectively.

“While this increase in call volume is significant, careless digging continues to pose a threat to people and to underground facilities,” said Mark A. Frost, executive director of JULIE, Inc.   “JULIE, Inc. stresses the importance of calling the one-call system through its proactive public safety and education campaign.  A call to JULIE, Inc. helps to ensure that underground facilities are properly located and marked.”

The following is a list of the top 20 counties in Illinois for locate requests in 2005:  Cook; Will; DuPage; Lake; Kane; McHenry; St. Clair; Winnebago; Madison; Kendall; Sangamon; Champaign; McLean; Peoria; Tazewell; DeKalb; Kankakee; Rock Island; LaSalle; and Macon.

JULIE, Inc. provides excavators with a toll-free number (1-800-892-0123) for the free locating and marking of underground facilities.  Serving the state of Illinois (outside the city of Chicago), JULIE, Inc. takes information about planned excavations and distributes 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 at JULIE, Inc. are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  For more information about the Illinois One-Call System, along with a complete list of members by county and safety guidelines, please visit www.illinois1call.com.

The following is a list of the top 25 counties in Illinois for locate requests in 2005: