Chattanooga Gas honoring National 811 Day by promoting safe digging awareness

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – August 11, 2025 – Chattanooga Gas is reminding Tennessee residents and customers to contact Tennessee 811, a non-profit organization promoting safety and preventing damage to underground facilities, before starting any outdoor digging project in honor of August 11 – National 811 Day.

Warm summer days usually make for an ideal time to begin an outdoor project that might require digging. However, in recent years, some parts of Tennessee have experienced abnormally hot summers which makes fall an ideal time to revisit those digging projects. Ahead of this fall season, Chattanooga Gas encourages customers and professional excavators to be reminded of the importance of contacting TN811 before you dig.

TN811 reported that 40 percent of people who begin a digging project do not contact 811. On an even larger scale, 27.2 million Americans shared in a recent survey that they are not likely to contact 811 before beginning a digging project.

Tennessee state law requires anyone who engages in, or is responsible for, the planning or performance of any type of excavation to provide advance notice of at least three full business days to Tennessee 811. Contacting 811 before starting a digging project reduces the risk of disrupting service to an entire neighborhood and potentially incurring fines and reparation costs. It is also the law. 

To help promote safe digging, Chattanooga Gas encourages everyone to dig with C.A.R.E: 

• Call or Click Before You Dig - Always contact TN811 by dialing 811 or visiting tenn811.com at least three business days before starting any digging project. This free service ensures all underground utility lines like gas, electric, water, sewer and cable are properly marked. 
• Allow Time for Marking – After submitting a request, wait for professional locators to mark the approximate location of underground lines using color-coded paint or flags. Yellow indicates natural gas.
• Respect the Marks – Use only hand tools when digging near marked lines to avoid accidental damage.
• Excavate Carefully – Keep utility markings visible throughout your project. If they fade or are disturbed, contact TN811 to have them refreshed. 

If a gas line is damaged or the smell of natural gas (often described as a rotten-egg odor) is detected, leave the area immediately, call 911, then contact the Chattanooga Gas emergency line at 866-643-4170. 

For more information on safe digging and natural gas safety, visit chattanoogagas.com/safety/digging.  

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About Chattanooga Gas
 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 72,000 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.

Media Contact:
Ashley Hoffman | c: 678.357.1685 |  ahoffman@southernco.com