April is National Safe Digging Month
RICHMOND, Va., April 3,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As warmer weather brings an
increase in outdoor home improvement projects, Dominion Energy is
reminding the public to stay safe and contact 811 to have their
underground utility lines marked before any digging project
begins.
Landscaping, irrigation and fence installations are among the
projects that routinely cause damage to underground utility lines.
According to the Common Ground Alliance, a utility line is
damaged every six minutes in the United
States. 31 percent of these damages are caused by property
owners who fail to contact 811 prior to breaking ground.
To prevent injuries, service outages and traffic disruptions,
Virginia law requires contractors
and property owners to contact 811 and allow at least two working
days before excavation begins.
"National Safe Digging Month serves as a timely reminder for
everyone to take advantage of this free service to protect
themselves, their communities and the reliability of the power
grid. Underground power lines play an important role in providing
our customers the reliable energy they count on to power their
homes and businesses every day," said Sylvia White, Director of Electric Distribution
Operations Centers for Dominion Energy Virginia. "Safeguarding our
underground utilities is our No. 1 priority, with third-party
damage posing the biggest threat."
Call 811 or visit VA811.com to submit a request. Professional
locators will mark utility lines with flags or paint at no charge.
Once all utility lines have been marked, careful digging around the
marks can begin.
To learn more about the importance of safe digging and 811,
visit DominionEnergy.com/safety/call-before-you-dig.
View the Spanish version of this press release.
About Dominion Energy
About 6 million customers in 15
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 providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean
energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.
Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy
