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Elizabethtown Gas Reminds Customers to Avoid Costly and Potentially Dangerous Incidents by Calling 811 Before You Dig
UNION, N.J., April 4, 2022 – Elizabethtown Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries (NYSE: SJI), reminds customers to call the 811 Safe Digging Hotline, before beginning projects that require digging – including gardening, building a fence or installing a mailbox – to prevent damage to essential underground utilities and keep communities safe.
Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities is against the law in New Jersey. It can result in serious injuries, inconvenient service disruptions and costly repairs when gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines are damaged.
Why are we sending this reminder?In observance of National Safe Digging Month in April, the Common Ground Alliance announced the results of a recent study* finding 49% of U.S. homeowners – nearly 34.9 million Americans – who plan to dig this year will put themselves and their communities at risk by digging without contacting 811 beforehand to learn the approximate location of underground utilities.
After calling the 811 Safe Digging Hotline, professional locators visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags or both. Once a site has been accurately marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.
Elizabethtown Gas reminds customers to take the following steps when planning a digging project:
- Always contact 811 at least 3 business days before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.
- Confirm that all lines have been marked.
- Consider moving the location of your project if it is near utility line markings and hand dig areas within a few feet of utility lines.
- If a contractor has been hired, confirm that the contractor has contacted 811. Don't allow work to begin if the lines aren't marked.
Media Contact Information
Media Relations:media@sjindustries.com
Telephone: 609-561-9000 x4496
Investor Contact:
Dan Fidell (609) 561-9000 x7027
dfidell@sjindustries.com