RICHMOND, Va., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring has finally arrived, and with it come the opportunities and challenges of working outdoors. Before hauling the ladder out of the garage to clean the gutters or picking out pavers for that new patio, Dominion Virginia Power urges customers to stop and think before beginning those springtime projects.

Avoiding underground electrical lines may seem simple enough, but not all electrical or utility lines are visible above ground.

"Many utilities, such as the phone, gas, or cable company bury their lines at various depths," said J. David Rives, Senior Vice President–Distribution. "It's easy to mistake these lines for tree roots, water lines, or even construction debris, so it's extremely important that these lines get marked to ensure the safety of everyone involved."

April is National Safe Digging Month, and Dominion reminds customers, contractors, and others to dig with "CARE:" Call 8-1-1 before you dig, Allow time for marking of the lines, Respect and protect the marks, and Excavate carefully.

"It only takes a few minutes to call us at 8-1-1," said 811 Public Awareness and Training Manager, Tracey Lamb. "It's a free service that could mean the difference between completing your spring project or having to tend to an injury. We make it easy. Just call us and we will arrange for the utilities to come out and mark their lines on your property, keeping you and your loved ones safe."

811, Virginia's one-call notification center, is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal state and national holidays. Emergency notification service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additional information is available online at www.dom.com/about/safety/call-before-you-dig.jsp and you can view a quick video at http://youtu.be/dhuvrXUymhA.

Planting trees, installing fencing, or removing stumps isn't the only activity that warrants caution, however. When preparing to do any work near overhead lines (such as any wiring coming to your house) ensure that ladders or equipment do not come into contact with the wire – or anything touching that wire, such as a tree branch. Dominion will temporarily relocate a wire for a homeowner to enable the safe completion of a project.

Dominion Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE:D), one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 23,600 megawatts of generation, 10,900 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,400 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 947 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves utility and retail energy customers in 10 states. For more information about Dominion, visit www.dom.com.

SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power