Georgia residents need to call 811 at least three business days before starting any digging project. This free service helps prevent dangerous accidents and costly repairs by marking underground utility lines.
Last year, Georgia averaged nearly 52 incidents daily that damaged underground infrastructure. With ongoing growth across the state, safe digging practices have become more critical than ever.
💡 Why It Matters: Hidden beneath your yard are natural gas lines, water pipes, electrical cables and communication lines that power your daily life. Hitting just one line could cut services to your neighborhood, result in expensive repairs, or even cause serious injury or death.
🔢 By The Numbers: Atlanta Gas Light maintains more than 34,000 miles of natural gas infrastructure throughout Georgia. The company serves approximately 1.7 million customers and has operated since 1856.
🔍 In Context: April is National Safe Digging Month, a time when utility companies nationwide remind homeowners and contractors about safe digging practices as spring projects begin.
⏭️ What’s Next: After calling 811, wait for utility professionals to mark your property with spray paint or flags (yellow marks indicate natural gas lines). Check Georgia 811’s Positive Response Tracking System online to confirm all utilities have responded before starting your project.
🚑 Take Action: If you accidentally damage a gas line or smell the distinctive rotten-egg odor of natural gas, immediately move to a safe location and call 911 or Atlanta Gas Light’s 24-hour emergency line at 877-427-4321.
🤝 Remember The Golden Rule: Your digging project could affect your neighbors’ utility services. Call 811 before digging—just as you’d want others to do when working near your property.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
