ATMOS Energy: August 11th is National 811 Day

SAN ANGELO, TX — (Press Release) Did you know it is required by law to call 811 before digging to have all buried utility lines located and marked? In recognition of National 811 Day, August 11, Atmos Energy Corporation reminds homeowners, construction crews, and do-it-yourselfers to call 811 before digging into your next outdoor project.

“The greatest risk to our natural gas pipelines is accidental damage while digging,” said John McDill, Atmos Energy’s vice president of safety. “Even minor damage, such as a scrape, dent, or crease in a pipeline or its coating, can cause a leak.”

Every time the public calls 811 before digging, the chance of hitting an underground utility line decreases by 99.9 percent. When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to their local one-call center, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of their intent to dig.  Professional locators are then sent to the digging site to mark the locations of underground utility-owned lines with flags and spray paint, free of charge.

“Atmos Energy located 1.3 million underground natural gas lines in Texas in 2017. We appreciate our customers observing this important safety law. Calling 811 is the law in every state that we serve. All excavators need to call 811 at least three business days before digging on public or private property,” said McDill.

In honor of National 811 Day, Atmos Energy is hosting a contest on its Instagram account (@atmosenergy) with daily questions from August 6^th -10^th. Participants have a chance to win $81.10 when they post a comment with the correct answer. Visit atmosenergy.com/contest for more information.

For more information on 811, visit atmosenergy.com/call811 or call811.com.   

B-roll is available for media here.

About Atmos Energy

Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is the country's largest, fully-regulated, natural-gas-only distributor, serving over three million natural gas distribution customers in over 1,400 communities in eight states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy also manages company-owned natural gas pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com. Atmos Energy can also be accessed through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.