On 8-1-1 Day, Virginia Natural Gas reminds community to contact VA811 before they dig

Company partners with Papa Johns to celebrate National Safe Digging Day

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – August 9, 2024 –As summertime kicks into high gear, many homeowners are eager to get their outdoor home improvement projects completed before the fall. In recognition of National 8-1-1 Day on Aug. 11, Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) is reminding residents and professional excavators to always contact VA811 before beginning any digging project to ensure safety and prevent damage to underground utilities.

"The safety of our team members, customers and the community is at the center of everything we do at Virginia Natural Gas," said Rus Hayslett, Vice President of Operations. "Knowing the location of underground utilities before you dig is crucial to preventing serious injuries, service interruptions and costly repairs. While summer is the busy season for home projects, we strongly encourage everyone to contact VA811 to ensure a safe and smooth digging process."

Contacting VA811 before digging is a convenient and reliable way to avoid damaging buried utilities. However, in a national survey conducted by the Common Ground Alliance, 26.9 million homeowners planning do-it-yourself digging projects will not contact 811, putting themselves and their communities at risk of utility service disruptions, costly fines, repairs and even injury.

Virginia Natural Gas encourages homeowners and contractors to follow these safe digging guidelines and always dig with CARE:

• Call or Click Before You Dig: Before starting any outdoor digging project, residents should dial 811 or visit va811.com at least three days in advance to request to have underground utility lines marked. Requests to have utility operators locate underground lines, including natural gas, electric, water, sewer, telephone and cable lines, can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free. 
• Allow the Required Time for Marking: After contacting Virginia 811, wait for underground utility lines to be marked before digging (approximately three-working days). Locators will mark the approximate location of buried lines with color-coded spray paint, flags or stakes corresponding to the utility. The color used for natural gas is yellow. 
• Respect the Marks: Only use hand-digging tools to carefully uncover the area around a utility line when you need to dig near location markers.
• Excavate Carefully: Make sure the marks remain visible during the project. If the lines are damaged or removed, customers are encouraged to contact Virginia 811 to have the lines remarked.

If a natural gas line is damaged accidentally or the distinctive rotten-egg odor associated with natural gas is present, call 911 and then the Virginia Natural Gas 24-hour emergency phone line at 1-877-572-3342 from a safe location. Do not operate any machinery or equipment that might cause a spark or create an open flame.

This year, to further emphasize the importance of safe digging, Virginia Natural Gas has teamed up with Papa Johns and VA811 to offer a special deal. Throughout the month of August, customers can enjoy 25% off their pizza order by visiting VA811.com. It's a delicious way to remember to "Know what's below, contact Virginia 811 before you dig."