Nicor Gas 8-1-1 Day a reminder to contact JULIE (811) before you dig
As summertime kicks into high gear, many homeowners are eager to get their outdoor home improvement projects completed before the fall.
In recognition of National 8-1-1 Day on Aug. 11, Nicor Gas is reminding residents and professional excavators to always contact JULIE, Illinois one-call center, before beginning any digging project to ensure safety and prevent damage to underground utilities.
Contacting 811 before digging is a convenient and reliable way to avoid damaging buried utilities, and it’s free.
A homeowner using a shovel and a professional excavator using an earthmover are required by state law to call 811.
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, potential fines, repairs or even injury.
Nicor 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, residents should dial 811 or visit www.illinois1call.com at least three days in advance to request to have underground utility lines marked. Requests to have utility operators locate underground lines, including natural gas, electric, water, sewer, telephone and cable lines, can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free.
Allow the Required Time for Marking: After contacting JULIE, 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 to carefully uncover the area around a utility line when you need to dig near location markers.
Excavate Carefully: Make sure the marks remain visible during the project. If the lines are damaged or removed, customers are encouraged to contact 811 to have the lines remarked.
If a natural gas line is damaged accidentally or the distinctive rotten-egg odor associated with natural gas is present, call 911 and then the Nicor Gas 24-hour emergency phone line at 888-Nicor4U (888-642-6748) 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 digging safety including the debut of 811 Man, our newest safe digging advocate, visit nicorgas.com/811.