WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - April is National Safe Digging Month, and Atmos Energy is providing tips to help safeguard the underground lines that provide natural gas to over 189 million Americans.

Over half of exterior natural gas leaks that occur are caused or contributed to by digging or construction according to Atmos.

Pam Hughes Pak, Atmos Energy Manager of Public Affairs, said homeowners and contractors should utilize available resources to determine the location of buried lines.

“With the arrival of spring, warmer temperatures offer ideal conditions to revitalize your home landscaping or plant your first personal herb garden,” Hughes Pak said. “If your backyard beautification project requires heavy equipment or power tools, before grabbing the shovel, make sure all underground utility lines have been located and marked. Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in disruptions to critical services, serious injuries, and costly repairs to underground utility lines.”

Those who are planning to dig can call 811 to check on the location of lines.