Aug. 11 was National Safe Digging Day, recognizing the importance of having underground utility lines marked prior to digging or excavating
Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky reported damage to underground electric and natural gas lines nearly 350 times this year
Video here: Learn how the 811 process works
CINCINNATI – Aug. 11 is National Safe Digging Day (also known as 811 Day) and Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky are advising customers and excavators to call 811 at least three business days before beginning any outdoor project that involves digging.
What is 811?
811 Day is an annual initiative led by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to ensure the practice of safe digging is echoed in communities by calling 811, a nationwide toll-free number, before any excavation project.
Contractors, homeowners, business owners and anyone preparing for an excavation project should call 811 at least three business days before digging begins. The local utilities will then send a crew to mark underground lines in the area (electric, natural gas, water, sewer, phone, cable TV and others) with stakes, flags or paint.
Damage data by the numbers:
• From January to June 2026, Duke Energy reported damage to nearly 350 electric and natural gas lines in its Ohio and Kentucky service area.
• More specifically, Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky reported just over 300 damages to underground natural gas facilities.
• Duke Energy reported more than 3,100 damages to its underground electric network and 1,300 damages to its natural gas network in all its service territories.
Our view
“As summer projects wrap up and fall projects begin, remember to call 811 before you dig,” said Emily Henson, senior vice president and president of Duke Energy’s natural gas business. “This simple, free step to locate underground utility lines helps prevent costly damages and outages. And most importantly, it helps keep you and our communities safe.”
Take action
For additional information about 811, visit Call 811 Before You Dig. To contact the 811 center in your state, dial 811 or visit call811.com.
For additional information, see our story on illumination.
Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky
Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky, subsidiaries of Duke Energy, provide electric service to 910,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 560,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
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