DALLAS – March 30, 2023 – Did you know that the most common cause of outside natural gas leaks is digging or construction that disturbs natural gas pipelines? Pipelines carry natural gas around the clock to more than 76 million homes and businesses in the United States, yet we seldom notice these energy superhighways because they are underground. Every year in April, National Safe Digging Month is an opportunity to remind homeowners, contractors, and any professional excavator to keep communities safe by calling 811 before any digging 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,” said Jennifer Ries, Atmos Energy vice president of pipeline safety. “It is simple and easy to make a free request online or over the phone by calling 811 before digging to help communities maintain essential utility services, promote safety, and reduce the likelihood of accidentally digging into buried utility lines. The ‘Call 811’ service is free, safe, and it is required by law.”

Everyone who contacts 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local 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. Homeowners are further encouraged to take a few precautionary measures when planning any digging project this spring:

• Plan ahead. If work is scheduled for an upcoming weekend, make a free 811 request on Monday or Tuesday – 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.
• Please visit 811beforeyoudig.com for complete information.

As part of National Safe Digging Month, Atmos Energy asks everyone to become a safety ambassador by taking the Atmos Energy Call 811 Pledge at https://www.atmosenergy.com/safety/sign-call-811-pledge. In addition, the Atmos Energy Damage Prevention Ambassador Program empowers employees year-round to help eliminate pipeline damages by making stops at excavation sites to educate the public and promote safe digging practices. In 29 percent of all stops, Damage Prevention Ambassadors found that excavators did not have a valid 811 ticket, the ticket had expired, or their excavation plan included the use of mechanized equipment within the utility tolerance zone without first exposing the utilities. If pipeline danger exists, the Ambassador is empowered to stop the work, and the excavator is asked to cease digging and call 811 so utilities can mark their lines as required under state law.

With an increasing number of public infrastructure projects and expanding economic development, pipeline damage resulting from excavation remains the most common cause of outside natural gas leaks. Atmos Energy has been and will continue to be a champion for damage prevention, and this is yet one more way that Atmos Energy puts its safety vision into practice.

Visit https://call811.com/ for more information.