Gas Safety
The leading cause of damage to buried pipelines is the failure to identify the location of these facilities before excavation begins. Any contact with a natural gas pipeline that causes a scratch, gouge, crease or dent can lead to a leak.
Before you start any excavation activity on your property, you are required by state law to call 811 or Arizona Blue Stake at 1-800-STAKE-IT (1-800-782-5348) at least working two days ahead of time. UES and other utilities will mark the location of their underground lines at no cost to you.
Excavation activities can be as simple as planting a tree, installing landscaping, building a fence or digging for a swimming pool. So please be safe and call 811 or 1-800-STAKE-IT before breaking ground on any such project on your property.
Detecting and Reacting to a Natural Gas Leak
Aside from accidental contacts, it is extremely unlikely that a natural gas pipeline will leak. Nonetheless, you should be prepared to recognize the signs of a leak and react appropriately if one should occur. Since natural gas is lighter than air, any underground leak can pose a danger at ground level.
Using your senses of sight, smell and sound will help you recognize a leak.
Sight – A dense fog, mist, or white cloud. Also, look for discolored vegetation, bubbling water or dust that is being blown away from a spot on the ground.
Smell – A distinctive odor is added to natural gas to help identify leaks.
Sound – A hissing, whistling or roaring noise can identify a potential leak.
If you detect a leak, immediately leave the area, warn others to stay away and call 911 to notify police and fire officials. You also can call UES at 1-877-UES4YOU (1-877-837-4968) 24 hours a day, seven days a week to report a suspected leak. We’ll gather information about the incident, alert the proper authorities and dispatch trained personnel to address the matter appropriately.
Be careful not to touch, breathe or make contact with leaking gas. Do not light a match, turn light switches on or off, use a telephone or do anything that creates a spark near a potential gas leak. Also, do not attempt to operate any valves yourself – leave that work to a trained UES technician.
For more information about gas safety, please review the following documents:
