Homeowners doing construction work in their yards this spring are being urged to locate the gas lines on their properties to avoid causing thousands of dollars in damage and potential injuries.
There were 130 gas line hits in Edmonton last year, caused both by homeowners doing their own renovation projects and professional contractors. Across the province, 876 natural gas lines were ruptured.
The safe digging message is not being heard clearly enough.
A professional locator will find gas lines on a property for free and the service can typically be booked within 48 hours, although it can take longer during peak construction seasons.
There's no penalty for hitting a gas line, but any damage must be paid for. That can cost anywhere from $1,000 for a homeowner who might hit a small line in their backyard, to $100,000 if a major road line is struck.
A handful of homeowners die in Edmonton each year as a result of explosions caused by gas lines hit during construction.
These are 100 per cent preventable by locating lines and using a hydrovac to visually expose the line prior to digging.
"Most gas line hits are not that serious and that can cause carelessness," says Bill Stephens, vice-president of Edmonton operations for ATCO Gas.
"Every situation can be severe. Often it's not, and that's where the digging community gets complacent."
Forty per cent of gas line hits that happened last year were by people who did not locate gas lines before beginning construction. Another 40 per cent were caused by homeowners who located gas lines but did not hand-dig within one meter on either side of the line, as recommended.
