ATMOS Energy News Release: National Safe Digging Month
Atmos Energy Encourages Safety Awareness
During National Safe Digging Month Safety is in Your Hands. Every Dig. Every Time.
GARLAND, Texas – April 1, 2025 – Did you know more than 50 percent of outside natural gas leaks are caused by digging or construction that disturbs natural gas pipelines? Even minor damage, such as a nick, scrape, or dent in a pipeline or its coating, can weaken the pipeline and lead to a future leak. Since 2008, April has been designated National Safe Digging Month, and in an effort to reduce excavation damage, Atmos Energy joins the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) to encourage homeowners, contractors, and any professional excavator to keep communities safe by calling 811 before any digging project.
“With the arrival of spring, warmer temperatures offer ideal conditions to revitalize your home landscaping or plant your first personal herb garden,” said Lance Ehler, Atmos Energy damage prevention manager. “If your backyard beautification project requires heavy equipment or power tools, before grabbing the shovel, make sure all underground utility lines have been located and marked. Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in disruptions to critical services, serious injuries, and costly repairs to underground utility lines.”
The ‘Call 811’ national service is free, safe, and required by law. Everyone who contacts 811 a few days before digging is connected to a local notification center that will take the caller's information and communicate it to local utility companies. Professional locators will then visit the dig site to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines with spray paint, flags, or both. Please visit 811beforeyoudig.com for complete information.
“Pipelines carry natural gas around the clock to more than 189 million Americans and 5.8 million businesses, yet we seldom notice these energy superhighways because they are underground,” said Ehler. “The partnership between utilities, excavators, and communities is crucial in maintaining safe, reliable natural gas service.”
Atmos Energy has been and will continue to be a champion for damage prevention. As part of National Safe Digging Month, Atmos Energy asks everyone to become a safety ambassador by taking the Atmos Energy Call 811 Pledge at atmosenergy.com/call811pledge. As a safety ambassador, you will pledge to share the importance of calling 811 before a digging project, along with educating others about the value of knowing the location of underground utility lines. Together, we can promote natural gas safety!
About Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy Corporation, a natural gas-only distributor, is an S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas. We safely deliver reliable, affordable, efficient and abundant natural gas to more than 3 million distribution customers in over 1,400 communities across eight states located primarily in the South. As part of our vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services, we are modernizing our business and infrastructure while continuing to invest in safety, innovation, environmental sustainability and our communities. Atmos Energy manages proprietary pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas. Find us online at http://www.atmosenergy.com, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
