RICHMOND, Va., April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- It's National Safe Digging Month, an opportunity for utilities nationwide to remind their customers and communities to put safety first by always contacting 811 to have underground utility lines located and marked before any project that involves digging.

Every 9 minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first contacting 811. Every dig counts. Even striking a single line while you dig can cause inconvenient outages, traffic disruptions, fines or injuries.

"Whether you are putting in a new deck, fence or planting a tree, you need to contact 811 first," said Jason Holland, Dominion Energy Virginia's Director of Distribution Operations Centers and Emergency Preparedness. "Contacting 811 is critical to public safety and service reliability, not to mention it's state law."

Safety is in your hands. Dominion Energy addresses several common misconceptions with the facts about 811, the process and why it's important to know what's below before putting a shovel in the ground:

Myth 1 "I'm busy and on a budget."

Fact: Contacting 811 and the professional locate services are completely paid for by utilities for public safety. You are only required to call at least three full business days before your planned excavation project.

Myth 2 "Contacting 811 sounds complicated."

Fact: It's an easy process. Simply request the service by either calling 811 or using VA811's SAT (Single Address Ticket) application, on their website. When you contact 811, you will be asked to provide information about the location and nature of your digging project and utilities like Dominion Energy will take it from there.

Myth 3 "I know where my utilities are located."

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 causing the location of the lines to change.

Myth 4 "My contractors know what they're doing."

Fact: Your contractor does not know where underground utility lines are located. Check with your contractor to make sure that they have contacted 811 and utilities have been marked before digging-related work begins.

Myth 5 "I see a red electric marker, so I know where the line is located."

Fact: Dominion Energy electric markers indicate that there is a buried line in the area but are not meant to provide their exact location. Calling 811 is still required so you know where to avoid digging.

Once all utility lines have been marked, careful digging around the marks can begin. To learn more about electric safety and the 811 process, click here.

View the Spanish version of this press release. 

About Dominion Energy

 About 7 million customers in 16 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 safely providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy