Damaging an underground utility line while
digging can result in
thousands of dollars in
repair costs
SAN
FRANCISCO, April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the
arrival of warmer weather months, homeowners may turn their
attention to projects around the home that involve digging. Whether
it is repairing a fence or removing a downed tree due to winter
storm damage, or any other project that involves digging, calling
811 before starting your project will help customers avoid damaging
underground utility lines and prevent expensive repair costs. April
is recognized as National Safe Digging Month to spread awareness of
the importance of calling 811 before any digging project, large or
small.
Underground utility lines can be shallow, sometimes only a few
inches below the surface, due to erosion, previous digging projects
or landscaping, shifting or settling of the ground and uneven
surfaces. Customers should call 811 a minimum of two business days
before starting any digging project, large or small, as damaging an
underground utility line while digging is dangerous and can leave
customers responsible for repair costs averaging $3,500.
"Making a free call to 811 two business days before you start
your digging project will help keep you, your family and neighbors
safe and avoid inconvenient outages. Striking an underground
utility line while digging can be dangerous and lead to expensive
repairs, so please remember to call 811, one free call for all
digging projects, large or small," said Joe
Forline, PG&E senior vice president, gas operations.
Warmer weather months see an increase in digging projects, and
unfortunately many of those projects are proceeding without a free
call to 811 to have underground utilities marked for project sites.
In fact, according to a recent national survey conducted by the
Common Ground Alliance (CGA), 56% of homeowners plan to dig without
calling 811 first. But, failure to call 811 before digging resulted
in nearly 1,300 incidents during 2023 where underground utility
lines were damaged due to digging in PG&E's service area
alone.
2023 by the numbers:
- There were 1,262 incidents in Northern and Central California where homeowners or
contractors damaged underground gas or electric lines while
digging
- In 63 percent of incidents when an underground utility line was
damaged due to digging, 811 was not called.
- For homeowners specifically, that percentage rises to 90
percent
- The average cost to repair a damaged utility line is
$3,500
- Leading causes of damages to underground utility lines while
digging include: building or replacing a fence, gardening and
landscaping, planting a tree or removing a stump, sewer and
irrigation work and building a deck or patio
Calling 811 is Fast and Free:
- Customers should call 811 a minimum of two business days before
beginning any project that involves digging, no matter how large or
small. Customers can also visit 811express.com to have
underground utility lines marked for their project site.
- Professional utility workers for all utilities (gas, electric,
water, sewer and telecommunications) will be dispatched to mark the
location of all underground utility lines for the project site with
flags, spray paint, or both
- The 811 call center serving Central and Northern California,
USA North, is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will
provide Spanish and other translation services.
PG&E safe digging tips
- Mark project area in white: Identify the digging
location by drawing a box around the area using white paint, white
stakes, white flags, white chalk or even white baking flour.
- Call 811 or submit an online request a
minimum of two working days before digging: Be prepared to
provide the address and general location of the project, project
start date and type of digging activity. PG&E and other
utilities will identify underground facilities in the area for
free. Requests can be submitted a maximum of 14 days prior to the
start of the project.
- Dig safely: Use hand tools when digging within 24
inches of the outside edge of underground lines. Leave utility
flags, stakes or paint marks in place until the project is
finished. Backfill and compact the soil.
- Be aware of signs of a natural gas leak: Smell for a
"rotten egg" odor, listen for hissing, whistling or roaring sounds
and look for dirt spraying into the air, bubbling in a pond or
creek and dead/dying vegetation in an otherwise moist area.
About CGA
CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 4,200 damage
prevention professionals spanning every facet of the underground
utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving
lives and preventing damage to North American underground
infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices.
CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage
prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to
underground facilities in North
America through shared responsibility among all
stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web
at http://www.commongroundalliance.com.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a
subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined
natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million
people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company