Damage Prevention & Safety
USIC launches redesigned website for underground infrastructure damage prevention
The new site design and updated content further the company’s goal of building greater awareness of the essential role it plays in protecting America’s critical underground infrastructure.
CGA’s DIRT report correlates infrastructure investment with increased excavation damage
(UI) — Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the national nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, recently announced the findings from its 2022 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT). It revealed concerning increases across key damage indicators.
Innovative solution for managing I&I challenges in sanitary districts
(UI) — A major challenge sanitary districts everywhere face is recurring and growing inflow and infiltration (I&I), from substantial amounts of groundwater and stormwater entering the sewer during periods of heavy rain. This issue is of paramount importance, as heavy rainfall can cause the intrusion of large volumes of groundwater and stormwater into the sewer system, overwhelming pump stations and treatment plants, and even causing costly sewer overflows.
GPRS launches Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week
(UI) — From Oct. 23–27, GPRS will offer free safety presentations to anyone responsible for water and/or wastewater systems. The firm will also share additional safety information throughout the week on its social media channels.
Inside infrastructure: GIS offers best way to improve underground facility maps
At a time when America is making huge investments in underground infrastructure markets, damage prevention to underground facilities is fundamental and all stakeholders must ensure that their responsibilities are met.
Excavation workers hit gas line in La Pine, Ore., subdivision
(UI) — In La Pine, Oregon, an excavation crew working in a newly developed subdivision had an incident where they accidentally hit a two-inch natural gas line. This led to a gas leak that raised concerns among nearby residents, resulting in advisories to shelter in place and avoid outdoor open flames until the repairs were completed.
Pennsylvania candy company contests OSHA citations following March 2023 natural gas explosion that killed seven
According to R.M. Palmer Co., an NTSB investigation found that natural gas was leaking from a DuPont service tee under a public road less than 2 feet from underground piping that ran between the company’s headquarters and the building that ultimately exploded.
VertiGIS launches underground utilities locator for contractors to prevent asset damage
This innovative solution for underground utilities revolutionizes the way companies handle the demand of 811, Call-Before-You-Dig and One-Call responses with efficiency and accuracy.
Contractor killed in San Francisco trench collapse, prompts investigation
(UI) — A contractor in San Francisco's Lower Haight died on Sept. 28 after a trench beneath a sidewalk collapsed. While five workers managed to escape, one male worker became trapped under eight feet of dirt and debris.
Underground infrastructure damage trending upward, Common Ground Alliance reports
The annual DIRT Report provides a comprehensive accounting and analysis of damages to underground infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada to help stakeholders understand the current damage landscape and the factors contributing to underground facility damages.
Sewer gas leak hospitalizes four DC high school students
(UI) — Four high school students from McKinley Tech High School in Washington, D.C., have been hospitalized due to hydrogen sulfide, commonly known as sewer gas.
Scan Tech NYC provides underground scanning technology for Manhattan construction industry
Scan Tech's technology accurately maps out hidden structures like telecommunication lines, plumbing pipes, metal, rebar, electrical lines, and more.
McElroy awarded prestigious safety award from Oklahoma Safety Council
The Pinnacle of Safety Award is given to companies that achieve the highest levels of excellence in safety and health. Companies are judged on management commitment, safety culture, and safety performance in the areas of safety and health.
Underground fire bursts through manholes, prompting evacuations in Colorado Springs
(UI) — An underground fire in downtown Colorado Springs early Monday morning led to evacuations and power outages as flames shot up through manholes, causing a significant disruption in the area.
AT&T fiber optic cable vandalism sparks investigation in Tuolumne County, Calif.
(UI) — The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office is actively seeking assistance from the public regarding a recent act of vandalism that occurred on Aug. 30, resulting in a widespread disruption of cell service throughout Tuolumne County, California.
GPRS launches new safety initiative to address aging water, wastewater infrastructure
(UI) — Ground Penetrating Radar Systems LLC (GPRS) has announced a new safety initiative designed to help municipalities and facilities regain control of their water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. Water & Sewer Damage Awareness Week (WSDAW) will run Oct. 23-27, 2023.
Common Ground Alliance releases utility-mapping case study to reduce underground utility damage
The case study introduces the ambitious Minnesota Utilities Mapping Project (MUMP), which aims to provide real-time, ticket-level mapped visualizations of underground utilities to accredited designers, locators and excavators to improve the damage prevention system’s efficiency and outcomes.
Ruptured sewer pipe leads to 300,000-gallon sewage spill in Annapolis
(UI) — An incident involving a damaged sewer pipe has resulted in the release of around 300,000 gallons of sewage into a neighborhood in Annapolis, Maryland.
127-year-old water main gives way under NYC’s Times Square, flooding streets, subways
A 127-year-old water main under New York’s Times Square gave way early Tuesday, flooding midtown streets and the city’s busiest subway station.
PG&E initiates underground power line placement in Magalia, Calif.
(UI) — In Magalia, a significant transformation is underway as power lines are being placed underground. While the current cost of burying power lines is approximately $3.75 million per mile, PG&E anticipates a reduction to about $2.8 million per mile by 2026. The utility company asserts that despite the expense, the advantages of underground lines in high fire-risk areas are abundant.
United Rentals: Preventive fleet maintenance critical to operational efficiency
United Rentals, Inc. outlined how preventive maintenance and inspection programs can help construction and industrial companies garner maximum value from their equipment fleets.
Houston and San Antonio face sewer, water struggles amid central US deadly heat wave
Deadly heat has gripped Texas for much of the summer and has now spread into other parts of the central U.S., where it is expected to persist for days. Triple-digit temperatures are buckling roads, straining water systems, and posing a threat to the power grid of the nation’s energy capital.
Federal regulators propose rule changes after 2018 gas distribution pipeline blasts in Massachusetts
These proposed changes are designed to improve safety and ease risk through the improvement of emergency response plans, integrity management plans, operation manuals and other steps, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Xcel Energy building underground barrier to contain radioactive water in Minnesota
The energy company responsible for leaking radioactive material from its nuclear plant in Monticello, Minnesota, in recent months has announced that it will build an underground metal barrier to keep affected groundwater away from the nearby Mississippi River.
Sewer line repair leads to 10,000-gallon wastewater spill in Florida’s Riviera Bay
(UI) — In Pinellas County, Florida, the municipality of St. Petersburg has reported an incident involving the discharge of around 10,000 gallons of wastewater into Riviera Bay while addressing a rupture in a sewer line.
Underground gas leak unlikely cause of fatal Pennsylvania house blast
It is unlikely that natural gas seeped from an abandoned underground mine and caused a house explosion in western Pennsylvania last weekend that killed six people, state officials said Friday.
Maui water deemed unsafe post-fire, filters ineffective in addressing contamination
The Maui fires damaged hundreds of drinking water pipes, resulting in a loss of pressure that can allow toxic chemicals along with metals and bacteria into water lines.
Common Ground Alliance opens Call for Proposals for underground utilities conference
The 2024 CGA Conference & Expo, set to take place April 14-18, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the damage prevention industry’s premier event, bringing together distinguished experts and decision-makers for a week of focused collaboration and innovation designed to address the industry’s most pressing challenges.
California company fined $5 million for illegally dumping wastewater in Mississippi
View Inc., a firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, previously pleaded guilty to negligently discharging wastewater into a city sewer system from the company’s sole manufacturing facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
Three people found dead in Texas underground tank, sewer gas suspected as cause
On Thursday, a Texas sheriff reported that the underground tank had a "high level" of hydrogen sulfide when announcing that three individuals from Florida died in the cistern filled with sewer gas.
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- OSHA fines Calif. company for violations that led to fatal trench collapse
- Greenpeace must pay $667 million to Energy Transfer over pipeline protests, jury finds
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds
- NTSB publishes preliminary report on fatal gas pipeline explosion in Lexington, Mo.
- Maryland lawmakers push to curb BGE pipeline spending, citing safety and cost concerns
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints