Southwest Gas reminds people to call before they dig
Adrik Vargas
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – With spring projects picking up, Southwest Gas is reminding people to call before they dig.
A free call that could prevent a costly or even dangerous mistake.
“There are utility lines, all different kinds: Natural gas, electricity, water, cable,” said Amy Washburn with Southwest Gas.
Southwest Gas says avoiding an accident starts with knowing what’s underground before you start digging.
“It’s all running underground, so you potentially would have damages which can cause service outages throughout your community. Nobody wants to be that neighbor,” said Washburn.
Local plumber Jorge Luis Carbajal, owner of Jorge’s Plumbing, shares how making that call to 811 helped prevent a much bigger problem
“It ended up that the gas line was on top of where we needed to do the repair, so we managed to get around the gas line to prevent any breaks. Something worse could have happened, so that’s the importance of calling 811,” said Carbajal.
Southwest Gas says the message is catching on.
Washburn says, “More people are inquiring to make sure they have their lines marked before they start digging. When we compare numbers from last year to the year prior, we’re seeing that number going up, and in turn, the damages to underground lines going down.”
To be safe, experts say call 811 at least two working days before your project.