Did you know that, before
you dig, it is required by law to call 811 to have all buried utility
lines located and marked? Atmos Energy wants to thank homeowners and
excavators alike for observing the law and keeping our communities safe
by always calling 811 before digging.
Since 2008, Atmos Energy
has seen a 36 percent increase in requests by the public to have
underground natural gas lines marked. Once underground utility lines are
marked, it is important to take special care around all line markings
by digging by hand.
“The greatest risk to our natural gas
pipelines is accidental damage while digging,” said Kevin Dobbs, vice
president of Atmos Energy’s Kentucky/Mid-States division. “Even minor
damage, such as a scrape, dent, or crease in a pipeline or its coating,
can cause a leak.”
Every time the excavating public calls 811
before digging, the chance of hitting an underground utility line
decreases to 99.9 percent. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors
are connected to their local one-call center, which notifies the
appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional
locators are then sent to the digging site to mark the locations of
underground utility-owned lines with flags and spray paint, free of
charge.
“Atmos Energy located 1.5 million underground natural gas
lines in 2015. We appreciate our customers observing this important
safety law. Calling 811 is the law in every state that we serve. All
excavators call 811 at least two business days before digging on public
or private property,” said Dobbs.
For more information, visit atmosenergy.com/811 or call811.org.
