What to do Before You Dig

When you think about pipelines, you probably think about the pipes located under sinks and within a home or building’s walls. However, it’s important to keep in mind that pipes aren’t just located indoors, and that they can even be found under streets, the sidewalk, your lawn and more too! And since this is so, it’s extremely important for all property owners to be cautious if they’re going to be doing work outside, as hitting a pipe can cause some serious damage.

If you have plans to dig, plant or complete any major construction project, here are the steps SoCalGas says you should take first:

  1. Clearly mark the area that you plan to work on with white paint or some other obvious tool that makes your work site known.
  2. Call Underground Service Alert at 811 two working days before you plan to get started – you may call between 6 AM to 7 PM Monday – Friday (excluding holidays), or if you prefer to use internet communications, you can submit a location request via call811.com.
  3. Wait while Underground Service Alert, SoCalGas and other local utility owners work together to locate and mark the locations of pipelines if any are present.

A few things to keep in mind…

  • Only yellow paint, stakes or flags will used to identify the location of natural gas pipes. If you notice markings in other colors, that means other utility owners are making note of water, telephone, communications or other lines that are found underground.
  • If any damage occurs to nearby pipes while you work, it should be reported to SoCalGas as soon as possible. Even if you think the damage is minimal, keep in mind that it could result in a serious situation later on, which is why you want to advise of any and all concerns.

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Barker and Sons Plumbing & Rooter is a family owned and operated business that has been serving Orange County for the past 30 years. Services include, but are not limited to, gas leak detection and repairs, gas line installations, pipe leak detection and repairs, slab leak repairs, and water treatment and conditioning. To learn more or make an appointment, please call 714.630.8766.