"811 Day" Reminds To Call Before You Dig - KAUZ-TV: Newschannel 6 Now | Wichita Falls, TX

DALLAS, (Aug. 1, 2012) - With Aug. 11 almost here, Atmos Energy hopes this date on the calendar, 8/11, will serve as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. This comes on the heels of a recent report, which determined an underground utility line is damaged during digging projects every three minutes nationwide.

"We are excited to announce that the 2012 "811 Day" effort will result in the first nationwide media effort in history," said Randy West , Atmos Energy Manager Public Affairs  "We are hopeful this important message reaches a broad spectrum of the population. It is an incredible opportunity to have the 811 message featured during the Olympics."

To support this effort, a group of nearly 50 pipeline companies that support safe digging efforts have contributed funds to purchase network radio and television ads, which are scheduled to run on Saturday, August 11th.

"We want to remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line," said West "It really is the only way to know if utility lines are buried in your area and there is really no excuse to not take advantage of this fast, free and easy service."

By calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to their local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the digging site to mark the locations of underground utility lines with flags, spray paint or both.

Striking a single line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting.