(Wall, N.J.) – April marks annual National Safe Digging Month. And New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) reminds residents to keep themselves and their communities safe by calling 811 prior to the start of any digging or excavation project — all year long.

It’s critical to have all underground utilities properly marked – it is FREE to residents and required by law. Failing to do so often results in careless digging that can lead to the disruption of vital services, property damage, repair costs, fines and even injuries.

Damage from a third-party remains the leading cause of pipeline failures. According to the Common Ground Alliance, every nine minutes an underground utility line is damaged because someone decided to dig without first calling 811. Whether you plan on doing the work yourself or hiring a contractor, every digging project — no matter how large or small — warrants a call to 811. The depth of utility lines can vary. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, installing a sprinkler system or fence and even planting a tree or small shrub are all examples of digging projects that require a call before starting.

“The safety of our customers and communities is our top priority,” said Craig Lynch, senior vice president of Energy Delivery at New Jersey Natural Gas. “It’s critical for anyone — whether a homeowner, business or contractor — to remember careless digging can put people and property at risk. We urge customers to be our partners in safety. Anyone planning a digging project can do their part to keep themselves and their communities safe with a simple call to 811. Remember — it’s free, and it’s the law.”

Dialing 811 will connect you to New Jersey One Call, which notifies the appropriate utility companies of your intent to dig. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground utilities with flags, paint or both. Yellow indicates a natural gas line.

During National Safe Digging Month, and throughout the year, NJNG encourages homeowners to take the following steps before beginning to dig:

• Always call 811 at least three, but not more than 10, business days prior to the start of digging, regardless of the depth of the dig or your familiarity with the property.
• Before digging, confirm the markout has taken place.
• Respect all markings. Take a photo of the markout because inclement weather may wash away painted markings. Maintain the marks until no longer necessary and move the location of your project if it is near utility line markings.
• Dig with care – hand dig within two feet of the outer wall of the underground facility.

For more information about 811 and safe digging practices, visit nj1-call.org or the My Safety section of njng.com. In the event of damage to a natural gas pipeline immediately call 911 followed by a call to NJNG at 800-GAS-LEAK (427-5325).

About New Jersey Resources

New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that, through its subsidiaries, provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. NJR is composed of five primary businesses:

• New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR’s principal subsidiary, operates and maintains over 7,500 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve over half a million customers in New Jersey’s Monmouth, Ocean, Morris, Middlesex and Burlington counties.
• NJR Clean Energy Ventures invests in, owns and operates solar projects with a total capacity of more than 357 megawatts, providing residential and commercial customers with low-carbon solutions.
• NJR Energy Services manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services and customized energy solutions to its customers across North America.
• Storage & Transportation serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers through its ownership of Leaf River Energy Center and the Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project, as well as our 50 percent equity ownership in the Steckman Ridge natural gas storage facility, and our 20 percent equity interest in the PennEast Pipeline Project.
• NJR Home Services provides service contracts as well as heating, central air conditioning, water heaters, standby generators, solar and other indoor and outdoor comfort products to residential homes throughout New Jersey.

NJR and its nearly 1,200 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve^® and initiatives such as The SAVEGREEN Project^® and The Sunlight Advantage^®. For more information about NJR: www.njresources.com.

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