At Summit Utilities, the safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our number one priority. April is National Safe Digging Month and Summit Utilities is reminding community members and professional contractors to avoid accidents and utility interruptions by following the law and always calling 811 to have underground utility lines marked before beginning any outdoor projects.

As part of National Safe Digging Month, and every day, Summit Utilities offers the following list of steps to take when planning any digging project:

• Call 811 Before You Dig: Before starting any outdoor digging project, please contact 811 at least three days in advance to request to have underground utility lines marked.
• Allow the Required Time for Marking the Utilities: After contacting 811, wait for underground utility lines to be marked before digging. Locators will mark the approximate location of buried lines with color-coded spray paint, flags or stakes corresponding to the utility. The color used for natural gas is yellow.
• Respect the Marks: Once the lines are marked, only use hand-digging tools to carefully uncover the area around a utility line. This will help prevent any damage to underground utility lines.
• Excavate Carefully: Make sure the marks remain visible during the project. If the location markers are damaged or removed, please contact 811 to have your utility lines remarked.

Visit http://www.arkonecall.com in Arkansas, http://www.okie811.org in Oklahoma, and https://texas811.org in Texas for more information about 811 and safe digging practices! If a natural gas line is damaged accidentally or the distinct odor of natural gas (similar to rotten eggs) is present, leave the area and then call 911 and Summit Utilities at 800-992-7552.