On Aug. 11, New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) reminded residents to help keep themselves and communities safe by calling 811 to have underground public utility lines marked out before the start of any digging project.
New Jersey law requires anyone who plans to dig to call 811 at least three full business days and no more than 10 before beginning work. This includes excavators, contractors and homeowners.
Contacting 811 automatically connects whoever plans to dig with New Jersey One Call, which generates a request to local utility companies to mark the approximate location of their buried lines with paint or flags. Yellow indicates a natural gas line is below. Every project that involves digging requires a markout of underground utilities with a call to 811 or a visit to the link above.
Underground utility lines are located just about everywhere, and the depth can vary due to erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Any digging project, no matter how small it may seem, requires a call to 811. Most common homeowner projects, such as installing or replacing a fence or mailbox, building a deck, planting or removing a tree or shrub, laying a patio or repaving the driveway, can result in damaged underground utility lines.
“Safe digging starts before the shovel hits the ground,” said John Wyckoff, vice president of Energy Delivery at New Jersey Natural Gas. “On National 811 Day and throughout the year, we encourage homeowners and contractors to prioritize everyone’s safety by calling 811 before any digging project to ensure utility lines are clearly marked.”
NJNG encourages homeowners to follow these steps:
- Always call 811 a few days before the start of any project that requires digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.
- Plan to call 811 on a Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend. This will provide ample time for the approximate location of the lines to be marked.
- After an 811 call, confirm all lines have been marked. Yellow indicates the presence of underground natural gas lines.
- Consider moving the location of the project if it’s near the utility line markings.
- If a contractor has been hired, confirm they have contacted 811 for a markout of underground utilities. Don’t allow work to begin if the underground lines aren’t marked.
For more information about 811 and safe digging practices, visit nj1-call.org or 811beforeyoudig.com/.
