On 811 Day, Chattanooga Gas reminds the community to contact Tennessee 811 before they dig
Chattanooga, Tenn. – August 9, 2024 – Summer months are prime outdoor project season! In recognition of National 811 Day on Aug. 11, Chattanooga Gas reminds residents and professional excavators to contact Tennessee 811 before beginning any digging project to prevent damage to underground utilities.
"The safety of our team members, customers and the community is at the center of everything we do at Chattanooga Gas," said Pedro Cherry, president and CEO of Chattanooga Gas. "Knowing the location of underground utilities before you dig is crucial to preventing serious injuries, service interruptions and costly repairs. We strongly encourage everyone to contact Georgia 811. It’s free service that helps keep our families and communities safe.”
Contacting Tennessee 811 before digging is the easiest way to avoid damaging buried utilities. However, in a national survey conducted by the Common Ground Alliance, 26.9 million homeowners planning do-it-yourself digging projects will not contact 811, putting themselves and their communities at risk of utility service disruptions, costly fines and repairs.
Chattanooga Gas encourages homeowners and contractors to follow these safe digging guidelines and always dig with CARE:
- Call or Click Before You Dig: Before starting any outdoor digging project, customers should call 811 or visit Tennessee 811 at least three days in advance to request to have underground utility lines marked. Requests can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free.
- Allow the Required Time for Marking: After contacting Tennessee 811, wait for underground utility lines to be marked before digging (approximately three-working days). 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: Only use hand-digging tools when digging near the location markers. This will help avoid any potential damage to your underground lines.
- Excavate Carefully: Make sure the marks remain visible during the project. If the lines or flags are damaged or removed, customers are encouraged to contact Tennessee 811 to have the lines remarked.
If a natural gas line is damaged accidentally or the distinctive rotten-egg odor associated when natural gas is present, call 911 or the Chattanooga Gas 24-hour emergency phone line at 1-866-643-4170 from a safe location. Do not operate any machinery or equipment that might cause a spark or create an open flame.
For more information about Chattanooga Gas Light, log on to our website or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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Chattanooga Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Chattanooga Gas provides retail natural gas sales and transportation services to approximately 70,500 customers in Hamilton and Bradley counties in southeast Tennessee. The Chattanooga Gas service area includes the communities of Chattanooga, Cleveland, Red Bank, East Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain. For more information, visit chattanoogagas.com.
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.4 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with more than 600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
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aliyoung@southernco.com