COLUMBIA, Mo. —  Ameren Missouri is celebrating National 811 Day by encouraging customers and contractors to call 811 before digging to prevent infrastructure damage, service outages or injuries. Aug. 11 (8/11) marks the designation, which brings awareness to the safety risks involved with even small digging projects.

Missouri 811, the state’s single point of contact for all public underground facilities, recently launched its “50-in-5 Initiative,” a goal created to cut infrastructure damages across the state by 50% by 2028. It estimates that damage to national underground infrastructure cost $30 billion annually. Of these damages, over 76% are caused by:

• Failure to notify safety officials by calling 811
• Failure to confirm the location of buried infrastructure and then maintain the required clearance around them
• Failure to accurately or failure to complete line locates in a timely manner

“We’re all in on a common goal to keep Missourians safe and for underground facilities to continue functioning properly, but we can’t do it alone,” said Pam Harrison, senior director of gas operations for Ameren Missouri. “It’s critical that customers call 811 before they start any project – big or small – that involves excavation. The process is free and easy, and it’s the law.”

Throughout Ameren Missouri’s natural gas service territory, including cities such as Columbia, Jefferson City, Cape Girardeau, Wentzville and more, 11% of damages to natural gas lines were a result of failure to call 811 so far this year.

“Missouri 811 applauds energy providers such as Ameren that are proactive not only with serving their customers but making sure that the safety and well-being of their customers, the general public and the excavators working near its infrastructure are safe, informed and working without interruption to their daily lives,” said Randy L. Norden, executive director of Missouri 811. “Ameren is a strong partner with Missouri 811 to reduce damage to underground facilities and to help everyone understand the need to contact 811 before you excavate.”

To avoid unnecessary costs or safety issues, call 811 at least three business days before digging. Requests can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week but you must wait until a professional locator marks the lines on your property. Once the lines have been clearly marked, proceed with caution and follow safe digging practices.

It is also important to have underground lines freshly marked every time you dig, even if you have had lines marked for past projects. The lines may have shifted due to erosion or root growth since the last project. To learn more about safe digging, visit Missouri-811.org.