NYSEG and RG&E Reminds Contractors and Customers to Know What’s Below: Call 811 Before You Dig

BINGHAMTON, New York — June 21, 2018 — NYSEG and RG&E, subsidiaries of AVANGRID Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a diversified energy and utility company, are reminding  contractors that every excavation project, no matter how large or small, always requires a call to 811. Customers working on home projects are encouraged to call 811 as well whenever they are digging. There are currently 100 billion feet of utility lines buried underground in the United States. These buried facilities, including gas, electric, water, sewer, cable TV, high-speed internet, and landline telephone, provide the services Americans depend on for their basic everyday needs. Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before you dig will help protect you and your family from injury.

Every year, there are dozens of incidents involving third-party damage of NYSEG’s and RG&E’s underground natural gas and electric facilities. These incidents can put people’s lives in danger, are costly and can interrupt essential utility service.

NYSEG and RG&E President and CEO Carl A. Taylor said, “Something as seemingly harmless as a pick, tent stake or small excavator can cause serious damage to underground facilities. These facilities may be anywhere, and they are not always buried as deeply as one might think. Our goal is to meet the needs of our communities while keeping everyone safe.”

NYSEG and RG&E offers these few examples of when to call 811:

  • Landscaping
  • Digging holes for fence posts, signs (such as lawn signs for elections and garage sales) or a mailbox
  • Anchoring supports for decks and swings sets
  • Planting trees
  • Removing tree roots
  • Driving landscaping stakes into the ground
  • Installing a retaining wall


Calling 811 two working days and not more than 10 working days before starting a project that involves excavation is the only safe way to work. Once the call is made, Dig Safely New York will schedule free mark outs of all the underground utilities in the work area. Dig Safely New York can also be reached 1.800.962.7962 or at digsafelynewyork.com.

 

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