Calling 811 Before You Dig

ZANESVILLE, Oh – This Thursday is National 811 Day and Columbia Gas is taking the opportunity to remind you to call before you dig! 

Last year, 23% of damages to utility lines were the result of residents failing to call 811. 

Columbia Gas Communications Specialist Erica Chronaberry says this can have significant impacts on not just the homeowner but the community as well.

“It’s not even just our gas lines you could hit. You know, you never want to hit or dig into a live gas line. But you have other utility lines that you could hit. You could cause an outage in your neighborhood if you hit a line. Another thing is if you don’t call to have those lines marked, you could be on the hook for paying for repairs and fines that are associated with that damage,” she said.

This is a particularly important reminder during the summer months when people are home more often and more inclined to find DIY projects in and around their yards and property.

She says this is the prime time to really drive the message home about calling 811 before doing any sort of digging.

“People are at home. They’re trying to get their last minute projects in before that weather starts to turn cold. Everybody’s rushing. So this is like a perfect time of year when they’re rushing to get their fence put up before the cold weather comes or whatever it might be. It’s a really key time to remind people that even though you’re rushing to get things done, you need to take a step back, call 811 and do it safely,” Chronaberry explained.

Chronaberry says safety is a priority for Columbia Gas and that every digging project no matter how big or small should start with a call to 811 to have someone come out and mark all utility line locations BEFORE you dig in order to prevent damage and outages and keep utilities working properly.