SAFETY

SAFETY

If you smell natural gas or think you may have a leak, go away from the area and call and report it to your local natural gas provider.

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Why does my natural gas smell?

Natural gas is naturally a colorless and odorless gas. For safety purposes and for easy detection of a natural gas leak, a harmless chemical called Mercaptan is added to give a distinctive odor. The odor is very similar to the smell of rotten eggs. It smells bad for a good reason – to help identify a natural gas leak.

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Know what’s below before you dig! Call 811.

Calling 811 is the most important step before you start digging in areas around your home or business. Why? Because your digging could hit a natural gas line or other utility line like electric, communications, water and sewer lines, which could lead to a dangerous situation and costly repairs. Know what is buried underground in your area before you dig. Reduce the risk of injury or damage and call 811 so that the utility lines can be marked before you dig.

Georgia’s 811 is a free service to call before you begin a project that involves digging. Following this important step will protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines. There are millions of miles of buried utilities beneath the surface of the earth that are vital to everyday living like water, electricity and natural gas. 811 is the federally designated call before you dig number that helps homeowners and professionals avoid damaging these vital utilities. The call is FREE and if you call a few days before you plan to dig, the service lines can be identified and marked so you can avoid injury or costly repairs.

Do I need to call 811? Yes! Any type of dig requires a call. If you plan to build a deck, plant a tree, lay a patio, install a fence or even a mailbox – you need to call before you dig.

Locating crews will arrive to mark your dig site with paint or flags within a few days and will make sure you know where to avoid digging so you don’t hit buried utilities. Remember the depths of utility lines may vary and there may be multiple utility lines in the same area. So wait for the marks before you dig!