Just because you can’t always see natural gas pipelines or power lines doesn’t mean they aren’t buried around you. They could be below your garden or hiding under trees. A major cause of gas leaks is damage done from someone striking an underground pipeline by accident. This damage is more than an inconvenience, it can lead to personal harm, physical damages and financial loss.
Call MISS DIG at 811Tips for Digging Safely
State law requires that before you dig, you contact MISS DIG 811 by calling 8-1-1 or visit MISSDIG811.org to have underground facilities marked.
MISS DIG will contact utility companies to have underground lines marked with stakes, flags and/or paint. All at no cost to you.
PLEASE NOTE: As property owner, you’re responsible for identifying private gas lines that flow from the meter to all appliances. This includes gas lines to your yard lights, grills, pool and spa heaters, garages, workshops or similar areas.
Calling at least 3 days in advance gives MISS DIG plenty of time to mark underground lines before your project.
No job is too small or routine.
When you need to dig within 4 feet of marked lines, you must take extra precaution. Make sure to carefully hand dig - this exposes the marked lines. Remember that the stakes, flags or paint put down by MISS DIG show only a rough estimate of the location of underground utility facilities. Note that this is not an exact science. While electronic locating equipment is used, it has limited capabilities, so the actual location of underground facilities could vary from the position of the flags or stakes.
If you must dig within 4 feet of markers, use hand tools (like a shovel with a wooden handle) to carefully expose buried utility lines. Once you have found the location of underground utilities, then and only then can you use power equipment to complete the excavation.
If you smell natural gas (a rotten egg odor) or suspect a leak, remember: