CLEVELAND, Aug. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- National 811 Day is Sunday, August 11, 2019, and Dominion Energy urges homeowners and professional excavators to put safety first by calling 811 to have underground utility lines marked before doing any digging project.

"The call to 811 is fast, FREE, and mandatory under Ohio law," said Jim Eck, Vice President and General Manager, Ohio & West Virginia Distribution. "Third-party disruption is the leading cause of damage to underground utilities, including more than 500 such incidents involving Dominion Energy lines in Ohio alone through July 31 of this year. Calling Ohio 811 before digging helps ensure safety and prevents accidental dig-ins and potential injuries, property damage and utility service interruptions."

Dominion Energy  is using the calendar date August 11, or 8/11, as a natural reminder that state law requires property owners -- whether they are doing the work themselves or hiring a professional -- to call Ohio811, formerly known as the Ohio Utilities Protection Service, by dialing 811, to have underground utility lines marked, at least two business days, but no more than 10 business days, prior to ANY digging project. Ohio law mandates a call to 811 for every digging project, no matter how big or small. Installing a mailbox, putting in a fence, building a deck, or planting a tree, are all examples of digging projects that require a call to 811 before starting.

While promoting the call before digging message, Dominion Energy aims to dispel common misconceptions about 811, the process and its importance:

Myth 1 "Calling 811 takes time and money away from my project." 
Fact: The call to 811 and the professional locate service is paid by utilities for your safety.

Myth 2 "I remember when the utilities were put in." or "I'm digging in a spot that was marked before."
Fact:  Erosion and root system growth can change the depth and location of buried lines, or your utility companies may have completed work on their facilities since your last call.

Myth 3 "I've hired contractors or landscapers to do the digging project. They know what they're doing."
Fact: Contractors or landscapers do not know where underground utility lines are located. Always check with contractors to make sure they have contacted 811 and utilities have been marked before digging-related work begins.

Myth 4 "There's no need to call 811 if there's a pipeline marker. The marker shows me where the line is."
Fact: Dominion Energy pipeline markers indicate that there is a pipeline in the area. Calling 811 is still required to know the location of the pipeline.

Myth 5 "If I hit a gas line and nothing happens, it's not a big deal."
Fact: Even if the line doesn't appear to be damaged, call Dominion Energy at 1-877-542-2630. Protective coating damage or even a small dent in a gas line could cause an issue in the future.

Utility lines need to be marked accurately, because, even when digging only a few inches deep, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. Visit www.dominionenergy.com/dig for information about 811 and the call-before-you-dig process. For additional natural gas safety information, visit www.safegasohio.org. 

About Dominion Energy

Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy and is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy with more than $100 billion of assets providing electric generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas storage, transmission, distribution and import/export services. The company expects to cut generating fleet carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from its gas assets 50 percent by 2030. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy