Calling 811 before digging on any property is the law.

Virginia Natural Gas encourages homeowners and contractors to follow these safe digging guidelines and always dig with C.A.R.E.:

• Call Before You Dig: Before starting any outdoor digging project, customers should contact 811 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 811, wait for underground utility lines to be marked before digging. 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: Once the lines are marked, only use hand digging tools to carefully uncover the area around a utility line. When you need to dig near location markers use the appropriate digging methods and hand dig within 24 inches of the marked utility lines. This will help prevent any damage to underground utility lines.
• Excavate Carefully: Make sure the marks remain visible during the project. If the lines are damaged or removed, customers are encouraged to contact 811 to have lines remarked. Excavation work, including hand digging with a spade or shovel or plowing around a home or business is the most common cause of natural gas emergencies. If a natural gas line is damaged accidentally or the distinct odor of natural gas (rotten eggs) is present, call 911 from a safe location. Do not operate any machinery or any equipment that might cause a spark.