Duke Energy reminds residents to call ‘811’ before beginning spring projects
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As the weather continues to warm, you may find yourself wanting to begin yard work.
But Duke Energy is reminding everyone to call 811 before digging to prevent potential personal injury and avoid electric and natural gas outages.
“Keeping our customers safe and protecting our underground utility infrastructure are top priorities,” said Sasha Weintraub, Piedmont Natural Gas senior vice president and president. “Even simple digging jobs can cause serious injuries and disrupt vital utility services to communities, so it is important to call 811 to prevent unnecessary and potentially dangerous situations and outages in our communities.”
The national “811 Call Before You Dig” system was created so anyone who plans to dig can make a free call to have underground utility lines clearly marked. Contractors, homeowners, business owners and anyone preparing for a digging project should call 811 at least three business days before digging begins. The local utilities will then send a crew to mark underground lines in the area (electric, natural gas, water, sewer, phone, cable TV and others) with stakes, flags or paint.
From January to June 2022, Piedmont and Duke Energy reported damage to 4,967 natural gas and electric lines in their service territories (North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana).
