CAYCE, S.C. – As the temperature increases, so does digging activity for outdoor home improvement and construction projects. This National Safe Digging Month, Dominion Energy is reminding the public to always contact SC811 to request underground utility lines be marked if their project involves digging. The marking service is free and paid for by utilities like Dominion Energy to protect public safety and avoid accidental damage to underground electric and natural gas lines.

“We work year-round to educate our partners and community members on the importance of having underground utility lines marked before beginning excavation projects – no matter how small,” said Greg McGlohorn, general manager of Gas Operations for Dominion Energy South Carolina. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen a 25% decrease in excavator damage to our natural gas lines, and we need to continue the trend. Contacting 811 is free and simple to use. Not only is it the law, it’s the best way to ensure we’re protecting all of our underground electric and gas utility lines so that we keep our employees, customers and communities we serve safe.”

South Carolina state law requires contractors and property owners to contact 811 at least three full business days in advance of digging activity. Examples of excavation projects include installation of a septic tank, swimming pool, fence, water well, sprinkler system, mailbox post or tree planting. Digging into utility lines can cause injuries, traffic delays or inconvenient outages, but having lines marked before digging can prevent these problems.

There are two convenient ways to submit an underground utility marking request:

• Dial 811, a toll-free number.
• Visit SC811.com to submit a single address ticket.

Once the request is submitted and processed, utility companies dispatch professional locators to mark underground natural gas and electric lines with flags or paint at no charge within three days after your call. Once all utility lines have been marked, careful digging around the marks can begin.

To learn more about the importance of safe digging and the 811 process, click here.

About Dominion Energy
About 7 million customers in 13 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 to achieving net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.