Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- August 5 -- It only takes a few seconds to damage a buried pipeline, but the consequences could last much longer. To prevent hit gas lines and unnecessary outages, homeowners and excavators should always call 811 to have utility lines marked prior to any digging project. That's why Oklahoma Natural Gas is joining other utilities in recognizing Tuesday, August 11 (8/11) as National 811 Day.

"11 Days of Giveaways"
Oklahoma Natural Gas is hosting an "11 Days of Giveaways" contest on its Facebook page to promote public awareness about calling 811. Beginning August 1, the company will test followers' knowledge about natural gas safety with daily prizes that encourage safe digging, natural gas safety and energy efficiency. The contest will run through August 11 -- 811 Day.

Oklahoma Natural Gas wants to make sure everyone knows how to dig safely to avoid injury and protect the community from an outage. Underground utility lines may be found in their yards or below their sidewalks, driveways or streets. 

By making the free call to 811 or visiting Okie811.org at least 48 hours, excluding the date of notification, weekends and holidays, before digging begins, homeowners and contractors are connected to the local one call center. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both. 

Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. 

To learn more about safe digging, visit BeADigHeroOklahoma.com. To participate in our 11 Days of Giveaways, visit our Facebook page.