PGW Reminds Customers to Know What’s Below Before Digging
Posted on: Apr 06, 2022PGW marks Safe Digging Month with a reminder to call 811 ahead of any excavation project
PHILADELPHIA (April 6, 2022) – During National Safe Digging Month this April, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) reminds contractors and residents to call 811, or visit pa1call.org, before underground excavation (digging) or any building demolition work, regardless of a project’s size. Calling 811, Pennsylvania’s “One Call” system, alerts PGW and other utilities to identify and mark their service or distribution lines near the proposed worksites to prevent injuries, property damage, and inconvenient and costly utility outages.
Pennsylvania residents and contractors are legally required to call the Pennsylvania One Call System three to 10 business days prior to beginning an underground excavation project. Creating even a minor trench or hole can lead to significant problems if mishandled before breaking ground. The 811 service is free to any homeowner and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Working in coordination with Pennsylvania 811, PGW safely addressed 80,429 One Call tickets in 2021 to mark underground utility lines across Philadelphia.
It is vital to call 811 ahead of a project because:
- Nearly 40 percent of homeowners planning to dig will put utility lines at risk by not calling 811. As a result, 11 million homeowners will risk unintentionally damaging buried utility lines, causing disruption or harm to themselves and their communities – that was avoidable;
- Less than half of Americans are aware they are legally required to call 811 ahead of projects such as: installing a deck or patio, planting trees, bushes, or shrubs, or installing a mailbox; and
- according to 811, approximately 31 million homeowners plan to complete home improvement projects that involve digging this year.
PGW also encourages City residents to call 811 to report any contractor suspected of digging without a valid Pennsylvania One Call ticket, which alerts all facility owners of a possible safety concern. Job sites that do not have visible paint or flag markings should be reported to 811. Natural gas lines are identified and marked by yellow paint or flags. Yellow is specific to natural gas, steam, and petroleum pipelines. At any time, the smell of gas should be reported immediately to PGW’s emergency hotline at 215-235-1212.
This year, Pennsylvania 811 celebrates its 50th anniversary. PGW congratulates Pennsylvania 811 on this milestone and its work to protect underground infrastructure.
For more information about safe digging practices, please visit, https://www.pgworks.com/safety-reliability/call-811-before-you-dig
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