ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – If you’re thinking of doing some landscaping or putting in a new garden or tree, you’re likely going to be digging and that means you need to call before you dig.
“It’s a public safety issue. If you hit a gas line, you know, it can cause a risk to you, your neighbors, the first responders,” said Hailey Imlach, Risk and Communications Supervisor with Enstar Natural Gas. “It’s important to call for these smaller projects because the gas lines aren’t always as deep as you think.”
This goes for other utility lines as well. Calling for a utility line locate is simple. You can call 811 or go online to 811ak.com. Utility companies across the state are linked through this one contact point.
Once the request is received, the companies have two business days to do the locate — and 10 days in more remote areas.
And even if you’ve called for a locate before, Imlach says you need to call every time.
“The environment that we’re unaware of, shifting under the ground, that each time you’re going to dig that you call in for new locates because, you know, things can change, things can move,” Imlach said.
She also emphasized that locates are only good for 15 days.
“People don’t understand that digging means any disruption of the soil. It could be grading. It doesn’t have to be mechanical excavation. You know, it could be using a garden shovel. It is anything that is disturbing the surface of the ground is considered excavation or digging. And so it’s important that people think about that before they start their yard projects,” Imlach said.
Not getting a locate on your lines could also cost you.
“The most important thing is the public safety aspect of it,” Imlach said. “Another thing that people should be aware of is if they do hit our lines, they will get charged for our response and repair of the lines, and that can cost usually $1,000 or more.”
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