COLUMBUS – In conjunction with National 811 Day on Thursday, August 11, Columbia Gas of Ohio hopes that 8/11 on the calendar serves as a natural reminder for residents to call 811 or visit oups.org to have underground utility lines marked before starting any digging project. With the summer heat in full swing and more people spending time at home, homeowners turn to do-it-yourself (DIY) work in and around their yards. National 811 Day is the perfect opportunity to remind folks the importance of calling 811 at least two business days before digging.
In 2021, 23% of damages occurred because residents failed to call 811 before starting a digging project. The primary cause of damages in the late summer was due to fence installations and landscaping projects. If you contact 811 before you dig, there’s less than a 1% chance of damaging a utility line.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to Ohio 811, the local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Requests can also be conveniently made online at oups.org. Professional locators then arrive at the digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both. Requests should be made at least two business days before digging, this service is provided free of charge.
An underground utility line is damaged every few minutes because someone decides to dig without first contacting 811. Striking a single line can cause injury, inconvenient outages, incur repair costs and fines. With more people at home during the summer, relying on their utilities to work properly, outages are important to avoid. Every digging project, no matter how big or small, warrants contacting 811 by phone or online. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree, and laying a patio are just some examples of digging projects that require a call to 811 or a visit to oups.org before starting.
Columbia Gas of Ohio delivers clean, affordable and efficient natural gas to approximately 1.4 million customers across the state. With headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, it is the largest natural gas utility in Ohio and one of NiSource’s seven regulated utility companies. NiSource (NYSE:NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across six states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. More information about Columbia Gas of Ohio and NiSource is available at www.ColumbiaGasOhio.com and www.nisource.com.
