Saturday – 8/11 – Elizabethtown Gas is reminding everyone to call New Jersey One Call at 8-1-1 prior to starting any outdoor digging projects, such as putting in a mailbox, planting a flowerbed and building a deck.
The Call-Before-You-Dig hotline reminder coincides with National 811 Day, a day designated to promote awareness of buried utility lines and the use of the free locating service to ensure public safety and continuity of service.
“Even relatively minor do-it-yourself jobs such as installing a fence and planting a tree can damage a pipeline and result in costly damages, possible injury and service interruption,” said Jodi Gidley, president, Elizabethtown Gas. “Making a quick and easy call can help maintain safe, reliable service and protect homeowners from the potential danger and responsibility of damaging underground gas pipes or other utilities.”
Nationwide, one-third of damages to utility lines are caused by failure of a professional excavator or homeowner to have utility lines marked.
When calling 8-1-1, homeowners are connected to New Jersey One Call, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags or spray paint. Once lines have been accurately marked, residents can begin their digging project.
Visit www.nj1-call.org for more information about 8-1-1 and the call-before-you-dig process.
About Elizabethtown Gas
Elizabethtown Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS), provides natural gas delivery service to approximately 276,000 residential, business and industrial natural gas customers in New Jersey. In operation since 1855, the company serves parts of Union, Middlesex, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Morris and Mercer counties. For more information, visit www.elizabethtowngas.com
About AGL Resources
AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS) is an Atlanta-based energy services holding company with operations in natural gas distribution, retail operations, wholesale services, midstream operations and cargo shipping. As the nation’s largest natural gas-only distributor based on customer count, AGL Resources serves approximately 4.5 million utility customers through its regulated distribution subsidiaries in seven states. The company also serves more than 1 million retail customers through its SouthStar Energy Services joint venture and Nicor National, which markets natural gas and related home services. Other non-utility businesses include asset management for natural gas wholesale customers through Sequent Energy Management, ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities, and ownership of Tropical Shipping, one of the largest containerized cargo carriers serving the Bahamas and Caribbean region. AGL Resources is a member of the S&P 500 Index. For more information, visit www.aglresources.com.