Today, Aug. 11, is 811 Day, also known across the industry as National Safe Digging Day. 811 Day serves as a strong reminder for homeowners and contractors to always contact 811 before starting any digging project to locate underground utility lines. As more residents and professionals take on digging projects during the summer, it’s essential for us all to prioritize safety.
Communities depend on utility services like natural gas, electricity, water, and communications to power our homes and keep us connected worldwide. In many towns and neighborhoods, these utilities are buried underground. Accidentally hitting any of these lines can cause inconvenient outages for entire communities, costly fines and repairs, serious personal injuries, and even death.
The safest way to prevent damage to utilities and avoid injury or service outages is to contact 811 before you dig. It’s crucial to contact your specific state 811 office with enough planning time to determine the approximate locations of buried lines in your area. In fact, it’s the law everywhere we serve customers.
NiSource customers can find their state-specific information here:
| Indiana | Indiana811.org | At least two full business days | |
| Kentucky | Kentucky811.org | At least two full working days | |
| Maryland | MissUtility.net | At least three business days | |
| Ohio | OUPS.org | At least two business days | |
| Pennsylvania | PAOneCall.org | At least three business days | |
| Virginia | VA811.com | At least three business days |
When contacting 811, individuals are connected to the state system, which coordinates with local utility companies to mark underground lines using color-coded flags or spray paint. A qualified locator will then visit your planned digging site to identify and mark the approximate locations of all underground utility lines with paint, flags or both. Once your site has been marked, it is safe to proceed with digging around those areas.
At NiSource, safety is at the very heart of everything we do. We proudly promote 811 Day and encourage everyone to remember to contact 811 before you dig. Whether you're working in a shallow garden, installing a fence or mailbox, planting trees and shrubbery, or building decks and patios, taking a moment to properly mark the site is simple, fast, and essential for safety.
Melody Birmingham
Executive Vice President, NiSource Inc.
Group President, NiSource Utilities