Why Are There Flags And Paint In My Yard?
- Details
- Created: Monday, 11 September 2017 08:28
- Written by Courtney Ommen
Updated: Wednesday, March 26, 2025
At some point in time, either in your yard or around town, you’ve probably noticed small colored flags and spray paint marking the ground. The flags and paint mark are used to mark where underground utilities are located and are most often used when someone is planning to dig. Getting a proposed dig site marked like this is a simple, free process through Gopher State One Call (GSOC).
Gopher State One Call, which is often referred to as “GSOC,” is Minnesota’s official one call notification system. The non-profit organization acts as a vital communication link between underground facility operators, homeowners, and excavators within the state, as well as an educational resource for promoting safe digging to protect our communities, infrastructure, and environment.
In Minnesota, it’s required for anyone planning to dig to contact GSOC and submit a ticket – also known as a “locate request” – prior to digging. Tickets have a 48-hour waiting period after submission, excluding the day of submission, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. This means that if you submit a ticket on Monday, you can start digging on Thursday. If you submit on a Thursday, you can start digging on the following Tuesday. Tickets can be submitted online at gopherstateonecall.org, using the GSOC app, or by calling 8-1-1.
Striking an underground pipeline or cable can result in an array of consequences, but did you know that there are non-excavation related underground dangers? One prime example is an odorless, colorless gas named “radon”. “Radon...forms naturally from the decay (breaking down) of radioactive elements, such as uranium, which are found in different amounts in soil and rock throughout the world. Radon gas in the soil and rock can move into the air, underground water, and surface water. Radon is present outdoors and indoors. It is normally found at very low levels in outdoor air and in drinking water from rivers and lakes. It can be found at higher levels in the air in houses and other buildings, as well as in water from underground sources, such as well water.” 1
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