In observance of next week’s National Safe Digging Day or 811 Day, National Fuel reminds homeowners and professional contractors to Call Before You Dig. Pennsylvania state law requires residents to call 811, a free service, at least three and no more than 10 business days before digging to have underground utility lines located and marked.

Before starting any construction, landscaping, gardening or outdoor improvement project this year, call 811, a toll-free national phone number, or visit pa1call.org. The national 811 phone number connects callers with local One Call Centers. Operators record the excavation locations and notify National Fuel and other underground utilities. National Fuel then dispatches professional locators to mark the approximate positioning of lines. It’s a fast, easy way to be safe and protect those within the vicinity of the project. Once a site is professionally marked, it is safe to begin digging around the marked areas.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, calling 811 has proven to be the foremost preventive measure in excavation safety and damage prevention. Research has revealed that if someone calls 811 before they dig, they have a 99 percent chance of avoiding an incident, injury, repairs and fines, harm to the environment and even death.

In 2025, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a national association dedicated to representing the utility industry and committed to saving lives and preventing damage to underground infrastructure, announced results from a national survey which found 27.2 million homeowners planning do-it-yourself digging projects will not contact 811, putting themselves and communities at risk. The survey revealed that many respondents believe their project is too shallow to require an 811 request, even though critical utility lines can be buried just inches below the surface.

“Whether you’re planting a tree, installing a fence, or taking on a larger landscaping project, contacting 811 should always be your first step,” said Amanda Nelson, spokesperson for National Fuel. “Many people are surprised to learn how close underground utility lines can be to the surface. Taking a few minutes to submit a locate request through 811 before digging helps prevent serious injuries, service disruptions and costly repairs.”

Smell gas? Leave fast!

As always, if you smell gas, leave fast! If a rotten-egg natural gas odor is present, leave the premises immediately and call National Fuel’s emergency line, 1-800-444-3130, from a different location. If you smell gas outdoors, leave the area immediately, call National Fuel’s emergency number and provide the address nearest to the site of the odor. To learn more about natural gas safety, visit www.nationalfuel.com/utility/gas-safety/.

National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation is the Utility segment of National Fuel Gas Company, a diversified energy company that is engaged in a number of natural gas-related activities. The Utility provides natural gas service for 2.2 million residents in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.nationalfuel.com.