MINNEAPOLIS - Aug. 9, 2012 - Saturday is 8/11 and CenterPoint Energy wants to remind customers to call 811 prior to any digging project. One free call to 811 before digging can prevent injuries, property damage, service disruption and possibly costly fines for damaged infrastructure.

"Please call or click before you dig to notify affected utilities of your intent to dig," said Kris Tande, supervisor of Damage Prevention for CenterPoint Energy. "Each year, more than 150,000 underground utility lines are struck in the United States and 38 percent of all excavation damages result from not calling before digging."

When homeowners call 811, they connect to Gopher State One Call, who 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, spray paint or both. The flags and spray paint notify workers of the underground gas lines and to dig carefully.

In addition to calling 811, homeowners and professional excavators in Minnesota have the option to visit the Gopher State One Call website to submit dig information or by using the Gopher State smart phone app for convenience.

The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. So, whether it's a small project like planting trees or shrubs or hiring a professional for an outdoor project, smart digging means calling 811 before each job.

Since the 811 "Call Before You Dig" campaign was created in 2004, there has been roughly a 40 percent reduction in excavation damages.  For more information, visit call811.com.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission and distribution, natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, interstate pipelines and field services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Assets total more than $22 billion. With about 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 135 years. In Minnesota, CenterPoint Energy is the state's largest natural gas distribution utility, serving about 800,000 customers in 260 communities. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.