Be Safe, Be Smart and Know What’s Below – PECO Reminds You to Call 811 Before You Dig
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 utility-owned underground 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. More than 125
incidents occurred last year alone on the PECO system because some
failed to call before digging.
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.
Customers and contractors also are required to call 811 before clearing
blocked sewer lines to determine if any utility lines are nearby as well.
PECO has nearly 9,000 circuit miles of underground electric lines,
12,000 miles of natural gas distribution and service lines, and 30 miles
of natural gas transportation lines buried throughout southeastern
Pennsylvania. In addition to PECO’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, customers and contractors are connected to PA One
Call, the state’s coordinator for utility line marking. PA One Call will
collect information about the project and provide it to PECO and other
member utilities. The utilities will then mark their underground
facilities. Calls are required at least three business days in advance
of digging.
Once lines are located, customers and contractors doing work 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.
PECO joins the Exelon family of utilities in recognizing National Call
Before You Dig Day and is a member of the Common Ground Alliance to
share best practices to promote safe excavation and decrease instances
of damage to underground lines. The company also provides customers and
local contractors with important information about safety around
overhead and underground utility lines through mailings, customer
newsletters, social media and print advertising.
To learn more, visit peco.com/safety.
Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility
subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). The company’s 2,400
dedicated employees provide advanced, innovative energy solutions to 1.6
million electric and more than 511,000 natural gas customers in
southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2015 PECO delivered 86.9 billion cubic
feet of natural gas and 38 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The
company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $4.5 billion in
Pennsylvania, supporting more than 9,600 local jobs and producing $760
million in labor income. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater
Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing
leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and
culture, education, environmental, economic development and community
programs and organizations. For more information visit PECO.com,
and connect with the company on Facebook
and Twitter.
If you are a member of the media and would like to receive PECO news
releases via email, please send your email address to PECO.Communication@exeloncorp.com.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: PECO will display “TODAY IS NATIONAL
811 DAY – KNOW WHAT’S BELOW & CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG!” on its Crown
Lights message system, atop the company’s headquarters at 2301 Market
Street in Philadelphia, approximately every four minutes Thursday
morning and evening.
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