PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Erica Wright 417-625-5180

Communications/Media Coordinatorewright@empiredistrict.com

THE EMPIRE DISTRICT GAS COMPANY ENCOURAGES USE OF ONE CALL SYSTEM

JOPLIN, MO - September 23, 2016 -The Empire District Gas Company reminds customers that there are more than 100 billion feet of underground utilities in the United States. This is according to data compiled by the Common Ground Alliance, an association dedicated to ensuring public safety and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices. That figure equates to more than one football field's length (100 yards) of buried utilities for every man, woman and child in the U.S.

Every three minutes nationwide, a utility line is damaged, and a third of these incidents are caused by a homeowner or professional failing to have utilities marked before they begin their digging project. The Empire District Gas Company encourages customers to stay safe while tackling any digging project. Call before you begin and have the underground utilities located. Simply call 811, the nationwide one call system, or 800-DIG-RITE (800-344-7483), the Missouri One Call system.

This is a free service provided by Empire and other local utilities. Customers should call at least three, but not more than ten, working days before they plan to dig. The utilities will mark the location of underground facilities with flags, paint, or both so customers can steer clear of them and stay safe.

The depth of utility lines can vary due to erosion, previous projects, or uneven surfaces. So no matter the depth that must be dug, there is a risk of hitting underground utilities. A single call will allow customers to avoid the possibility of a serious injury and the expense of repair costs for damaged utilities.

Based in Joplin, Missouri, The Empire District Electric Company (NYSE:EDE) is an investor-owned utility providing electric, natural gas (through its wholly owned subsidiary The Empire District Gas Company), and water service, with approximately 218,000 customers in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. A subsidiary of the Company also provides fiber optic services. For more information regarding Empire, visitwww.empiredistrict.com.

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THE EMPIRE DISTRICT ELECTRIC COMPANY 602 JOPLIN AVENUE JOPLIN, MISSOURI 64802 417- 625- 5100 FAX: 417- 625- 5169 www.empiredistrict.com

The Empire District Electric Company published this content on 23 September 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 23 September 2016 14:53:05 UTC.

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