Dig With Care

Texas law requires that people call 811 before starting any digging projects that are 16 inches or deeper. A contractor will come out and mark your lawn with flags and spray paint to show where utilities are located.

CoServ Gas has more than 2,000 miles of underground natural gas lines, including the service line to your home. CoServ also has more than 9,000 miles of buried electric lines, which is around 76 percent of our total electric of our electric infrastructure.

Add in buried lines for telecommunications, water, sewer and sprinklers and you've got a web of lines crossing through your neighborhood and along major roadways.

If you smell gas, leave the area immediately and, once you're a safe distance away, call 911 and CoServ Gas at 844-330-0763.

How to request a locate before digging

  1. Call 811 to locate utility-owned pipelines and cables. Homeowners or contractors must call at least two business days before a digging project begins. The call is free and required by law. Not calling could cause an interruption of service or, worse, a safety hazard.
  2. CoServ hires a third-party contractor, USIC, to locate its electric and gas lines. CoServ Gas and Electric lines are buried with a tracer wire. USIC runs a low-voltage current through the wire so the lines can be detected with a hand-held wand.
  3. Please allow up to two business days for the lines to be marked.
  4. Utility lines are located and marked with color-coded flags. Texas 811 uses a GIS map to identify all the utilities in the area and notifies them of the pending excavation. The lines are marked with color-coded flags to indicate the type of utility.
  5. Don't dig near the flags, especially with heavy equipment.

Damaged Natural Gas Pipelines

Statewide, failure to call 811 is the leading cause of pipeline damage, according to the Texas Railroad Commission. If a gas line is nicked, scraped, dented, or punctured, leave the area immediately and call 911 and then call CoServ's Gas Emergency number at 844 330-0763. CoServ will respond to the call by dispatching crews to inspect the pipeline and make any necessary repairs.

811 Flag Markings

Small flags in your neighborhood indicate a digging project is planned, and someone has called 811 to locate underground utility lines. Texas law requires homeowners, businesses and contractors to Call 811 at least two business days before digging.

Common Reasons for Flags:

  • Installing a pool
  • Building a fence
  • Planting trees or landscaping
  • Installing a mailbox
  • Installing a sprinkler system
  • Any chore or maintenance that requires digging

 

NOTIFY:

WAIT: the required 48 hours (two business days)

CONFIRM: all utilities notified have marked the area

RESPECT: the marks

DIG carefully: no mechanized equipment within the tolerance zone