Dominion Energy South Carolina is reminding homeowners, landscapers and contractors to contact 811 to have underground utility lines marked before beginning any digging projects.
When SC811 is contacted, professional locators are sent to mark the approximate locations of buried utility lines with paint or flags. The 811 service is free of charge and supported by South Carolina’s utilities to protect communities from accidental damage to underground utility lines.
Whether a person is a contractor or a homeowner working on a home improvement project, locating the underground electric or gas lines before digging can save lives, avoid outages and help avoid fines. State law requires the public to contact 811 at least three full business days before starting a project to request underground utility markings.
“Over the past five years, Dominion Energy has reduced damages to our natural gas lines by approximately 35%, and our year-round efforts to raise awareness around safe digging is a big part of that,” said Shaun Randall, vice president of gas distribution and customer solutions for Dominion Energy South Carolina. “Excavation damage continues to be the leading threat to the safety and reliability of our natural gas system in South Carolina, and 811 Day is a great reminder to call before your project begins.”
Four things to know for safe digging:
Call before you dig. Before digging, contact SC811 at least three full working days before beginning any digging project by visiting www.sc811.com or dialing 8-1-1.
Wait for the utility lines to be marked. At no cost, 811 technicians will mark the location of the utility lines on the requested property. Once it is confirmed the utilities have been marked, it is safe to begin the digging project.
Respect the markings. Carefully dig by hand within the 24-inch tolerance zone – or safety buffer – on either side of the markings to expose facilities. Mechanical equipment is not permitted within the tolerance zone.
Dig with care. If a utility line is accidentally damaged, no matter how minor it may seem, move to a safe location. From a safe place, call Dominion Energy South Carolina at 1-800-815-0083.
Visit dominionenergy.com/safety/call-before-you-dig for more information about the call-before-you-dig process.