Excavation work, including digging or plowing around a home or business, is the most common cause of natural gas emergencies. Before digging around your property, state law requires you to call 811, a nationwide, toll-free number, to have your utility lines professionally marked. After calling, you must wait the required amount of time as advised by Georgia 811, before digging so underground utility lines can be located and marked – free of charge – before you begin your project.