PHILADELPHIA GAS WORKS URGES EVERYONE TO ‘KNOW WHAT’S BELOW’—CONTACT 811 BEFORE DIGGING
Posted on: Aug 11, 2026In observance of National 811 Day, remember to call 8-1-1 before you dig to protect yourself and your community
PHILADELPHIA (August 11, 2026) – Today is August 11 – National 811 Day. Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), along with other utilities, contractors, excavators, and property owners across the nation are joining the national effort to raise awareness about safe digging practices. National 811 Day serves as an important reminder for residents and contractors to call 811 before starting any digging project, whether planting flowers or building a deck. When a resident calls 811, the Pennsylvania One Call ticket will notify all utility companies with infrastructure in the area. Utilities then send trained technicians to the property to mark the exact locations of their underground lines using flags or spray paint.
Why call 811?
Regardless of the size of the project, anyone planning to pave, excavate, or demolish a structure in Pennsylvania that has utility service or is adjacent to a utility line, including electric, telephone, water, sewer and gas, should – and is legally required to – call Pennsylvania 811 before work begins. This law helps prevent dangerous and costly damage to underground utility lines and protect homeowners, utility workers, the community and residents in the area.
PGW also encourages city residents to call 811 to report any job sites without visible paint or flag markings onsite. Reporting a job site that may be digging without a valid Pennsylvania One Call ticket marking in place alerts all facility owners of a possible safety concern.
How to call 811?
Dialing 811 connects homeowners and contractors to the Pennsylvania “One Call” system. This system alerts utilities to identify the location of their service or distribution lines within the scope of the proposed worksite. The 811 service is free to any homeowner and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When to call 811?
It is required to call three to 10 business days prior to beginning a project.
What do the colorful markings on the street represent?
Utilities mark their lines with specific color codes:
- Red represents electric power lines, conduit and power cables
- Orange represents communication lines
- Blue represents water
- Green represents sewers and drain lines
- Yellow, which PGW marks, represents natural gas utility lines or steam.
Over the last year, PGW marked underground natural gas lines for more than 70,000 planned and emergency projects in Philadelphia ahead of contractors, residents, and excavators breaking any ground.
Learn more about the importance and responsibility of calling 811 before any digging occurs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn_IpxRdKM.
At any time, the smell of gas or a foreign odor should be reported immediately to PGW’s emergency hotline at 215-235-1212 or 911.
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