Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are reminding the public to call 811 before starting any digging or excavation projects. This announcement comes as Aug. 11 marks National Safe Digging Day, a day recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to promote safe digging practices.
Anyone planning to dig—whether contractors, homeowners, or business owners—is encouraged to contact 811 at least three business days in advance. Local utilities will then mark underground lines such as electric, natural gas, water, sewer, phone, and cable TV with stakes, flags, or paint to help prevent accidental damage.
From January through June 2025, Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas reported more than 5,000 incidents where underground electric and natural gas lines were damaged across their service areas in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. Of these incidents, about 1,450 involved underground natural gas facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy alone reported approximately 3,600 damages to its underground electric network during this period. In all of 2024 combined with Piedmont Natural Gas figures for both electric and gas lines exceeded 8,870 reported damages.
“Whether you’re finishing a summer yard project or starting something new this fall, call 811 before you dig,” said Brian Weisker, senior vice president and president of Duke Energy’s natural gas business. “Damaging a utility line can be dangerous and costly, but it’s easily prevented by this simple step. Safety and reliability start with contacting 811.”
For more information on how the process works or how to reach your state’s center directly visit Call 811 Before You Dig or go to https://call811.com/.
Duke Energy serves approximately 8.6 million customers across six states including Florida; its utilities collectively own over 55 gigawatts of energy capacity while also providing natural gas services to around 1.7 million customers in five states. The company is focused on an energy transition that includes major grid upgrades along with investments in cleaner power sources such as renewables and energy storage.
Piedmont Natural Gas is a subsidiary of Duke Energy serving more than one million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. It was recently ranked highest for customer satisfaction among large southern utilities according to J.D. Power’s latest study.
More information about Duke Energy can be found at duke-energy.com; for Piedmont Natural Gas see piedmontng.com.
