April is National Safe Digging Month

Atmos Energy reminds homeowners and contractors to contact 811 before all digging projects

ROCKWALL, TX – April 5, 2022 — April is National Safe Digging Month and Atmos Energy is reminding everyone – homeowners and professional excavators alike – to keep communities safe by contacting Call 811 before any excavation project.

Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in disruptions to critical services, serious injuries, and costly repairs to underground utility lines. It is simple and easy to make a free request online or over the phone before digging to help communities maintain essential utility services, promote safety, and reduce the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried utility lines.

“Nearly 34.9 million Americans who are planning to dig on their property this year can minimize the risk of utility service interruptions and personal injury by contacting 811 at least a few days in advance,” said Eva Hummel, Atmos Energy manager of public affairs. “Call 811 is free, safe, and it is required by law.”

A national public opinion survey of homeowners conducted by the Common Ground Alliance recently revealed that 58 percent of American homeowners personally plan to complete a home improvement project that involves digging in the next 12 months – and 49 percent will take a risk by not contacting 811 beforehand. The most popular planned projects among surveyed homeowners who plan to dig include:

Planting a tree or shrub
Building a fence
Building a deck or patio
Installing a mailbox
Installing a pool

As part of National Safe Digging Month, Atmos Energy encourages homeowners to take a few precautionary measures when planning a digging project this spring:

Always contact 811 a few days before digging, regardless of depth or familiarity with the property.
Plan ahead. Make a free 811 request on Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend, providing ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
Confirm that all lines have been marked.
Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has contacted 811. Don’t allow work to begin if the lines are not marked.
Visit 811beforeyoudig.com for complete information.

Everyone who contacts 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local one call notification center that will take the caller’s information and communicate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.

Become a safety ambassador and take the Atmos Energy Call 811 Pledge at https://www.atmosenergy.com/safety/sign-call-811-pledge.

Submitted press release.