(Newark, N.J. – August 7, 2024) In recognition of National 811 Day on August 11 (8/11), we remind customers they are required by law to dial 811 before starting any digging project. Striking a buried electric, gas, water or cable line can disrupt utility services, incur repair costs and cause serious injury or even death. A single call to 811 helps ensure that customers "know what’s below” and can dig safely. 

“Hundreds of people and contractors dig each year without first checking what’s below,” said Chris LaRossa, PSE&G Gas district manager, Regulatory Policy & Procedure. “Keeping our underground infrastructure safe is extremely important for us AND the environment. Many of the damages that we respond to on a regular basis are completely avoidable. A call to 811 is the safe, smart thing to do.”

To celebrate the day, PSE&G hosted an interactive, safe digging demonstration in Edison, NJ where participants read a service card indicating the “as-built” record of the underground pipeline and actually marked out the area for safe digging. 

“By holding this demonstration, we are demystifying the process behind calling 811,” Chris said. “In a few simple steps, we showed how we receive a call about an upcoming project, and how we mark out a gas service project.”

Regardless of size, every digging project requires a call to 811 between three and 10 business days before work begins. 811 is the designated national dialing code to have underground lines located and marked out before improvement work begins around the home or business. For all projects, even planting a flowerbed, installing a mailbox or fence, or putting in an aboveground pool, it is imperative to call 811 beforehand.

When you call 811, you are automatically connected to New Jersey One Call, which collects information about your upcoming digging project. The information is provided to utility companies, who send representatives to mark the locations of underground lines with flags, paint or both. Once lines have been properly marked, you will be notified and the digging can begin.

Last year, PSE&G responded to 853 calls concerning excavation damages (736 gas and 117 electric). 

Prevention is key:

• Call 811 at least three and no more than 10 business days before each job to have underground pipes, conduits, wires and cables located and marked. Markouts remain valid for 45 business days.
• Before work begins by excavators, contractors or customers, confirm that a call to 811 has been made and the markout was completed. By law, all digging projects require a call to 811.
• Both property owners and contractors must maintain and respect the marks. Always hand dig within 2 feet of marked lines, or the area known as the Tolerance Zone, to find the existing facility.
• Various colors are used when marking lines; to learn what each color represents, visit https://www.nj1-call.org/resources/faqs/#color.

What to do if you smell gas:

• Leave the building as quickly as possible and move 350 feet away from the structure. Take all others with you. If you smell gas outside, move well away from where you suspect the gas is leaking.
• Call 911 immediately and call PSE&G, 1-800-880-PSEG (7734). (Do NOT call from inside the building. Wait until you are outside and a safe distance to call.)
  
  

PSE&G
Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is New Jersey’s oldest and largest gas and electric delivery public utility, as well as one of the nation’s largest utilities. PSE&G is the 2022 Edison Award recipient from the Edison Electric Institute. PSE&G has won the ReliabilityOne® Award for superior electric system reliability in the Mid-Atlantic region for 22 consecutive years. For the third consecutive year, PSE&G is the recipient of the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in the Energy Efficiency Program Delivery category. In addition, in 2023 J.D. Power named PSE&G number one in customer satisfaction with residential and business electric service in the east among large utilities. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for 16 consecutive years (www.pseg.com).