Dominion East Ohio Reminds Customers, Excavators August 11 (8/11) Is Convenient Reminder To Call 8-1-1 Before Digging

CLEVELAND, Aug. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion East Ohio is using the calendar date August 11, or 8/11, as a natural reminder that Ohio law requires the general public and contractors to call 8-1-1 at least two business days, but no more than 10 business days, prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. This will help ensure safe excavation. Promoting the Call 8-1-1 and other pipeline safety messages has helped the company reduce third-party dig-ins by 50 percent over the past nine years, company officials say.

When calling 8-1-1, the general public and contractors are connected to the Ohio Utility Protection Service (OUPS), the local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. This service is free of charge. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines and facilities with flags, spray paint or both.

Striking a single natural gas, electric, water or telecommunication line can cause injuries, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. State law mandates a call to 8-1-1 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 8-1-1 before starting.

The depth of utility lines and associated facilities can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches deep, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. Visit www.call811.com or www.oups.org for more information about 811 and the call-before-you-dig process. For additional natural gas safety information, visit www.safegasohio.org . 

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 12,200 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,500 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 933 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 5 million utility and retail energy customers in 14 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com/.

SOURCE Dominion East Ohio

Related Links

http://www.dom.com