NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFE DIGGING ON NATIONAL 811 DAY

WALL, N.J. – August 11 marks National 811 Day, and New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) wants to remind residents to help keep themselves and their communities safe by calling 811 and having underground public utility lines marked prior to the start of any digging project. It’s free and it’s the law.

Underground utility lines are located virtually everywhere, and some may be just inches below the surface due to ground level changes over time. An unintended shovel dig can strike a utility line, resulting in service outages, costly repairs, fines or even catastrophic consequences. Any digging project, no matter the size, requires a call to 811.

“Every day common projects like installing a fence or mailbox, building a deck, planting or removing trees and shrubs should begin with a call to 811,” said Helen Ayotte, vice president of Engineering, Construction and Asset Management at New Jersey Natural Gas. “One of the simplest ways for customers to protect themselves and their neighbors when digging is a call to 811. On National 811 day and every day, we encourage customers to make that call as their first step in being our partner in safety.”

New Jersey law requires anyone — excavators, contractors and property owners — who do actual digging projects to call 811 and have a valid markout before the work starts.

Callers will automatically connect to New Jersey One Call, which generates a request to local utility companies for a free markout, which identifies the approximate location of their buried lines with paint or flags. Yellow markings indicate the presence of a buried natural gas line. To help prevent utility damage and keep everyone safe, NJNG encourages anyone planning to dig to follow these steps:

• Always call 811 at least three business days, and no more than 10 business days, before digging, regardless of the depth or familiarity with the property.
• Plan ahead and call 811 on a Monday or Tuesday for work planned for an upcoming weekend. This will provide ample time for the approximate location of lines to be marked.
• Before digging, confirm all lines have been marked. Yellow indicates the presence of underground natural gas lines.
• Respect all utility markings and hand dig with hand tools within 2 feet of marked utility lines to expose them before using any mechanized equipment. Proceed cautiously when working near any marked utility lines. 
• Consider moving the location of the project if it is near utility line markings.
• If a contractor has been hired, confirm the contractor has contacted 811 for a markout of underground utilities. Don't allow work to begin if the lines aren't marked.

To learn more about 811 and safe digging practices, visit nj1-call.org, 811beforeyoudig.com or njng.com/safety/dig.aspx.

About New Jersey Resources

New Jersey Resources (NYSE: NJR) is a diversified energy infrastructure and energy services company that 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 natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve customers in New Jersey’s Monmouth, Ocean and parts of Morris, Middlesex, Sussex and Burlington counties.
• Clean Energy Ventures invests in, owns and operates solar projects providing residential and commercial customers with low-carbon solutions.
• 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 and 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, as well as a 50% equity ownership in the Steckman Ridge natural gas storage facility.
• Home Services provides service contracts as well as heating, central air conditioning, water heaters, standby generators and other indoor and outdoor comfort products to residential homes throughout New Jersey.

NJR and its nearly 1,300 employees are committed to helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such as SAVEGREEN®.

For more information about NJR visit www.njresources.com

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