Piedmont Natural Gas Reminds Customers to Request Location of Natural Gas Pipelines and Other Underground Utilities Prior to Excavation

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of this past weekend's devastating tornados in eastern North Carolina, Piedmont Natural Gas is asking customers to remember the importance of calling "811" before digging or excavating on their property or in public right-of-ways.  

Piedmont Natural Gas Senior Vice President for Utility Operations, Michael H. Yount commented, "Even though Piedmont's natural gas pipeline delivery system did not sustain any significant or lasting damage as a result of these storms, it is still important for customers to call 811 before beginning any excavation or digging activity, related or not, to the ongoing recovery efforts.  Doing so allows utilities like Piedmont Natural Gas to locate their underground facilities, mark them by way of paint or colored flags prior to excavation, and help customers or their contractors avoid digging into our lines and potentially damaging them, or creating an unsafe condition for themselves or our customers."

Piedmont Natural Gas is working closely with local officials and emergency responders to reconnect natural gas service to those Piedmont customers impacted by the area's storms.  Piedmont also reminds customers to call 1-800-752-7504 or 911 in the event they smell natural gas or suspect a natural gas leak. Additional information around natural gas safety can be found on Piedmont's website at www.piedmontng.com.

About Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) is an energy services company primarily engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including 52,000 customers served by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas storage and intrastate natural gas transportation. More information about Piedmont Natural Gas is available at http://www.piedmontng.com.

SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas