Greensboro, NC (7/31/2023) Don Canipe, Locate Manager with Charlotte Water has been chosen as the NC811 Damage Prevention Ambassador due to his ongoing commitment to safety, damage prevention and spreading the “Call Before You Dig” message.
Many safe digging partners have made the commitment to call 811 prior to any excavation, but few go above and beyond making safety their #1 priority. Canipe has shown his commitment to keeping the community, employees, and utility providers safe. He has participated in the monthly Utility Coordinating Committee meetings that share vital information about projects that affect utility infrastructure for years and recently been a guest Speaker at the Joint NC/SC State UCC Conference in Cherokee. “This is truly the type of Damage Prevention Ambassador NC811 is looking for: The commitment to keeping the community safe while excavating and providing a great utility service to their customer and the community,” said NC811’s Education Department Manager, Ann Rushing.
Don is proud to be a recipient of the Damage Prevention Ambassador Award presented by Roger Richards, Chairman of the Mecklenburg County along with NC 811 on June 28th. “811 is the communication link between utilities and excavators – excavators on all levels, from the homeowner installing a mailbox to the contractor installing a utility or building infrastructure. Utilizing 811 keeps utilities and people safe, which saves everyone time, money, and lives. At the end of the day, we want all our employees to go home safely to their families”, stated Canipe. Don has proudly served Charlotte Water for ten years. On June 30, 2023, his service to the citizens of Charlotte as the Manager of Locates came to an end. It is with great joy we recognize Don Canipe with his commitment to safety and wish him happy days spending time with his family and his passion of fishing.
Every nine minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without calling 811 first. Find out more about becoming a Safe Digging Partner.
About NC811
Since 1978, North Carolina 811 has provided a fast and easy communications link with local utility providers. The public provides NC811 information about excavation, NC811 transmits the information to utilities, and they send out locators to mark underground lines for free. Call 811 or 1-800-632-4949 three working days before you plan on digging.
About Charlotte Water
Charlotte Water is the largest public water and wastewater utility in the Carolinas, serving more than a million customers in the City of Charlotte and greater Mecklenburg County — including the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, Huntersville, Davidson, and Cornelius. We maintain over 4,000 miles of water mains in our system’s infrastructure.
NC811
Ann Rushing
(336) 944-5518
annrushing@nc811.org