Did You Know? Dial Before You Dig
Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 11, 2009
Did you know that today is National 811 Day? It's a date set aside by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) to promote awareness of underground utilities through the use of the nationwide "811" call-in number for individuals, companies and governments preparing to dig.
And in Georgia, Colonial Pipeline has finished painting a set of its giant storage tanks with the "811 - Call Before You Dig" emblem as part of its efforts to prevent damage to underground utilities.
Companies like Colonial work to improve safety records every day. The petroleum storage tanks provide a big canvas for reminding homeowners, farmers and contractors - even local governments - to call the national toll-free number before beginning a digging or excavation project.
Colonial, whose pipeline extends from Houston to the New York harbor, receives nearly 1,000 alerts each day as a result of people calling "811" before they dig. Most of these are dealt with electronically or by phone, but each day approximately 150 require an in-person inspection of the worksite.
For more information on the importance of dialing 811 before digging in areas where pipelines may be present, listen to the EnergyTomorrow Radio episode using the player below.