South San Francisco, CA July 6, 2022 Press Release
Call 811 Before Your Digging Project to Avoid Expensive Repair Costs.
On June 24 in South San Francisco (94080), a property owner hired an unlicensed contractor to repair a water line. While hand digging with a shovel, the contractor struck and damaged an underground gas line, causing a gas leak.
PG&E crews promptly responded to the scene, made the situation safe and repaired the line in about 3 hours. The reason for the incident is that neither the property owner nor the unlicensed contractor called 811 before digging so that underground utility lines could be marked.
Underground utility lines can be shallow, just inches below the surface, and hiring an unlicensed contractor leaves the property owner financially responsible for the cost of repairs for damaging a line, which average $3,500.
811 is a free service and customers should call a minimum of two business days before digging to allow utility workers (gas, electric, water, sewer, telecommunications) to mark the location of underground lines so that digging can proceed safely and without risk to health or property.
Remember to call 811, one free call for all digging projects, large or small.
thanks for the info!