BGE Reminds You to Call Miss Utility at 811 Before You Dig
August 11 2015 - 10:22AM
Business Wire
August 11 (8/11) is National Call Before You
Dig Day
Today, 8/11, serves as a natural reminder for all customers and
contractors to call 811 to have underground utility lines marked
before digging. Nationwide, every six minutes someone damages an
underground utility line because of digging without first calling
811, according to the Common Ground Alliance, the national
association that promotes the 811 phone number and safe digging
practices. To emphasize 811 Day, BGE arranges its downtown
Baltimore headquarter window lights in an 811 pattern.
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811 Call Before You Dig number proudly
displayed on BGE's downtown Baltimore headquarter building on 811
Day (Photo: Business Wire)
Striking an underground electric or natural gas line can cause
serious injury, damages and service interruptions. Every digging
project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811.
Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a
patio are all examples of digging projects where a call to 811
should be one of the first steps.
Approximately 16,000 circuit miles of BGE’s power lines are
located underground—more than 60 percent the electric distribution
system. There are also nearly 14,000 miles of BGE underground gas
pipes throughout central Maryland. In addition to BGE’s lines,
there are underground communications cables, water and sewer lines,
and other utilities. Even properties that are not served by a
particular service may still have utility lines running below
ground.
When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to
Miss Utility, the local one-call center, which notifies BGE and
other utilities of the intent to dig at a location. The utilities’
professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site
to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags,
spray paint or both.
Once lines are located, excavators also must understand the
markings and look for evidence of unmarked lines, such as water and
sewer lines on private property. Sewer clean-outs and water valve
covers are examples of equipment that can indicate the presence of
underground lines. Once utility lines are marked, excavators must
proceed carefully. The best bet is to redesign a project to avoid
digging anywhere near marked underground utilities. Hand dig with
extreme caution and never use mechanized excavation equipment
within 18 inches of marked utilities. Even hand tools like shovels,
picks and digging bars can easily damage underground lines.
BGE joins its Exelon sister utilities, ComEd in Chicago and PECO
in Philadelphia, in marking National Call Before You Dig Day. BGE,
ComEd and PECO are members of the Common Ground Alliance and share
best practices to promote safe excavation and lower instances of
damage to underground lines.
Visit www.bge.com/811 for more information about 811 and safe
digging practices.
BGE, headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland’s largest natural
gas and electric utility, delivering power to more than 1.25
million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas
customers in central Maryland. The company’s approximately 3,200
employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of
natural gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management,
conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance.
BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s
leading competitive energy provider, with 2014 revenues of
approximately $27.4 billion. Like us on Facebook and follow us on
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150811005948/en/
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE)Aaron Koos,
aaron.koos@bge.comBGE Media Hotline: 410.470.7433
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