Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are urging the public to call 811 before starting any digging or excavation projects. This reminder comes as Aug. 11 marks National Safe Digging Day, an annual event that highlights the importance of marking underground utility lines before beginning outdoor work.
National Safe Digging Day, also known as 811 Day, is led by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The initiative encourages anyone planning an excavation project—including contractors, homeowners, and business owners—to call 811 at least three business days in advance. Local utilities will then mark underground lines such as electric, natural gas, water, sewer, phone, and cable TV with stakes, flags or paint.
From January to June 2025, Duke Energy and Piedmont reported more than 5,000 incidents where underground electric and natural gas lines were damaged in their service areas across North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. Of these incidents, about 1,450 involved damages to underground natural gas facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy reported approximately 3,600 damages to its underground electric network across all its territories. In total for 2024 alone, both companies recorded over 8,870 cases of damage to natural gas and electric lines.
“Whether you’re finishing a summer yard project or starting something new this fall, call 811 before you dig,” said Brian Weisker, senior vice president and president of Duke Energy’s natural gas business. “Damaging a utility line can be dangerous and costly, but it’s easily prevented by this simple step. Safety and reliability start with contacting 811.”
For more information about safe digging practices or to contact your state’s center directly via phone or online resources like https://call811.com/, residents are encouraged to visit https://www.duke-energy.com/safety-and-preparedness/call-before-you-dig or https://illumination.duke-energy.com/.
Duke Energy serves around 8.6 million electric customers across six states—North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/florida—and others—and owns over 55 gigawatts of energy capacity nationwide. Its natural gas services reach about 1.7 million customers in several southeastern states.
The company continues investing in grid upgrades and cleaner generation sources such as renewables and energy storage while focusing on customer reliability during its ongoing energy transition efforts.
Piedmont Natural Gas is a subsidiary distributing natural gas to more than 1.2 million customers throughout North Carolina https://www.piedmontng.com/, South Carolina https://www.piedmontng.com/, and Tennessee https://www.piedmontng.com/. According to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-gas-utility-residential-customer-satisfaction-study , Piedmont earned the top ranking for customer satisfaction among large utilities in the southern United States.
Contact: Zach Vavricka
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