Folsom,
NJ – With Aug. 11 almost here, South Jersey Gas (SJG) 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 by Common Ground Alliance, which determined an underground utility line is damaged during digging projects once every three minutes nationwide.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to New Jersey One Call, the local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig. Professional locators then go to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.
Additionally, anyone planning to dig during the weekend of Aug. 14 – 15 should call 811 before the end of the business day on Aug. 11. NJ One Call requires a call at least three working days before the planned project start date.
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.
The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists.
For more information about 811 and safe digging practices, visit www.southjerseygas.com or www.call811.com.
South Jersey Gas is the principal subsidiary of South Jersey Industries (NYSE: SJI) and provides natural gas utility service to over 343,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, and significant portions of Gloucester, Burlington and Camden counties in New Jersey. Visit www.sjindustries.com for more details about the company and its programs.
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