ATLANTA, Aug. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power and Georgia 811 continue to work together to raise awareness for National 811 Day on August 11 ("8-11").  Georgia Power wants to remind customers to do their part to prevent dangerous and disruptive accidents by contacting 811 before digging.

"The safety of our employees and our communities is our top priority, and using the 811 service is one way we can help our customers stay safe and prevent power outages resulting from digging accidents," said Kevin Kastner, Georgia Power vice president of Customer Services.

Georgia Power has a long history of working with Georgia 811, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preventing damage to underground utilities and promoting public safety, to ensure that projects are safe and comply with the "Georgia Dig Law." The law requires contact with Georgia 811 before mechanized digging to have buried power, communications, gas, and water lines marked, typically with flags, spray paint or both, to help prevent injuries, unintended service disruptions, repair costs, and fines.

Georgia Power works throughout the year to remind customers of the importance of calling 811 or visiting Georgia811.com, to enter a location request at least three days before they dig. There is no charge for 811 location requests, and contacting 811 is also recommended for smaller, manual jobs, such as planting trees, installing fences or mailboxes, or other digging activity. Once the request is received, Georgia 811 notifies affected member utility companies, who send a professional technician to identify and mark underground lines.

A Public Safety Announcement (PSA), produced in partnership with Georgia 811, demonstrates how quick and easy it is to have underground lines identified. The PSA can be viewed on Georgia Power's YouTube page.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

SOURCE Georgia Power