•   Aug. 11th is National 811 Day, which promotes safe digging practices to protect underground utility lines
•   Customers encouraged to call 811 and have underground utility lines marked before digging

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With summer comes extra time outside, and home improvement projects. Dominion Energy Virginia encourages homeowners and contractors to call 811 and have underground utility lines marked before beginning any digging projects.

The 811 service is free of charge and supported by Virginia's utilities to protect communities from accidental damage to underground utility lines.

Whether you're a construction contractor or working on a DIY home improvement project, locating the underground electric or gas lines on your property could save lives, avoid outages and help you avoid fines. State law requires the public to contact 811 at least three business days before starting a project to request underground utility markings.

"Everyone has a role to play in keeping our communities safe," said Sylvia White, Dominion Energy Virginia's Director of Distribution Operations. "Calling before you dig is one of the most important things you can do before any construction or home improvement project. It will keep you safe and protect the safety of your neighbors."   

Here are a few important reminders for safe digging:  

• Call before you dig. Before digging, contact VA811 at least three full working days before beginning any digging project by visiting www.va811.com or dialing 8-1-1.
• Wait for the utility lines to be marked. At no cost, 811 technicians will mark the location of the utility lines on the requested property. Once you've confirmed the utilities have been marked, it is safe to begin the digging project.
• Respect the markings for your safety. Dig at least 2 feet from all sides of the marks, not on them.
• Dig with care. If you accidentally damage a utility line, no matter how minor it may seem, move to a safe location. From a safe place, call Dominion Energy Virginia at 1-866-366-4357.

Visit dominionenergy.com/safety/call-before-you-dig for more information about the call-before-you-dig process.

View the Spanish language version of this 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