CenterPoint Energy : August 11 (8/11) serves as a reminder to always call 811 before digging

One free call to 811 can prevent injuries, property damage and service disruption

Friday-August-9-2019

Houston - Aug. 9, 2019 - Sunday's date of 8/11 is a reminder for everyone to call the national 'Call Before You Dig' number - 811 - prior to any digging project. One free call to 811 before digging can prevent injuries, property damage, service disruption and possible costly fines for damaged infrastructure.

'On this day and throughout the year, we continue to remind homeowners and professional contractors alike to call 811 before digging to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line,' Ashley Babcock, director of Damage Prevention and Public Awareness for CenterPoint Energy. 'The cause of many underground utility damages is not digging properly. The only physical way to know what's below is to call and have the buried utilities in your area of excavation marked. Not only is it a free call and service, it is also the law.'

By calling 811, a homeowner connects to a One Call Center, which then notifies the appropriate utility companies of the homeowner's intent to dig. Professional locators are sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags and spray paint, enabling the homeowner to dig safely.

The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Whether it is a small project like planting a tree, or a larger one such as hiring a professional to install a lawn irrigation system, smart digging means calling 811 before each job. For more information, visit call811.com.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is an energy delivery company with regulated utility businesses in eight states and a competitive energy businesses footprint in nearly 40 states. Through its electric transmission & distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution businesses, the company serves more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. CenterPoint Energy's competitive energy businesses include natural gas marketing and energy-related services; energy efficiency, sustainability and infrastructure modernization solutions; and construction and repair services for pipeline systems, primarily natural gas. The company also owns 53.8 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 14,000 employees and approximately $34 billion in assets, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.