Excavators
Safe Digging begins with you!
Before
you begin your excavation, ensure the safety of your
personnel and the public by following the checklist
below:
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Learn what the state and
federal laws are regarding
safe excavation practices.
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Know what your job requirements are and obtain the proper permits.
Show gas and other utility lines on
construction plans. |
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Use white paint to identify the proposed excavation
site or running line.
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Call 811 Arizona Blue Stake
or go
online at least two (2) working days before
excavation, (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal
holidays) to have all underground pipelines and
facilities located and marked.
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Know the markings and the
color codes
that identify underground utility lines.
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Observe where utilities are located, by line markers
or markings on the ground. Respect and
protect the
marks.
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Have utility lines re-marked if initial markings are
more than fifteen (15) days old.
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Train employees on the proper excavation of natural gas
lines and all underground facilities. When excavation
approaches gas lines, employees must expose lines by
careful probing and hand digging.
Free training for your organization.
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Train employees on how to identify and report a gas leak/gas
emergency.
- Smell: An odor, similar to rotten eggs.
- Hear: An unusual hissing sound coming from
a pipeline,
appliance, or natural gas meter.
- See: Unusual changes to
soil, dead or dying vegetation.
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Call 480-644-4277 (GASS) to report
damages to City of Mesa gas facilities.
For damages resulting in the escape of natural gas, call
911 and 480-644-4277 (GASS).
Arizona Blue Stake was established by utility owners as a
one-call notification system to assist homeowners and excavators
in identifying the location of underground utilities to prevent
damages to facilities.
Calling 811 will help save lives and protect infrastructure.
Knowing where underground utility lines are buried before each
digging project begins helps protect you from personal injury, expense and penalties. There may be
multiple utility lines in the same area at varying depths.
Even simple digging projects can damage utility lines and
disrupt vital services to an entire community. Having
underground utilities located can help prevent undesired
consequences.
Statewide: 811 or 1-800-STAKE-IT
Maricopa County: 811 or 602-263-1100
For more information on
Arizona Blue Stake.
State law requires all excavators to first determine whether
underground facilities will be encountered and take measures to
protect these facilities. A person who violates any provision of
this law could be subject to civil penalties in an amount up to
$5,000.00 (A.R.S. 40-360.28).
For more information on Arizona's Underground Facilities Law
(Article 6.3), visit the
Arizona Corporation
website.
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City of Mesa
Requirements: |
Right-of-Way Permits
The City of Mesa requires that all excavators obtain a
Right-of-way (ROW) Permit prior to any excavation in the ROW.
Excavators failing to comply with the conditions noted on the
permit can, and will be issued a "stop work" order and will not
be permitted to proceed until corrective action is taken.
Blasting Permits
If blasting will be performed on your jobsite within the City of
Mesa's natural gas service area (Mesa/Pinal County), contact
Mesa Fire at 480-644-2622 or Pinal County at 520-866-6405.
After notification, Energy Resources will review permits and
locate all gas pipelines in the proposed blasting area. A
gas leakage survey will be performed at NO CHARGE prior to, and
within 24 hours after, any blasting that occurs within 200 feet
of any gas pipeline.
Boring Requirements
If boring, follow City of Mesa Bore Requirements (Detail
No. 18 and
18.1) and call 480-644-5517 or 480-644-3513 to schedule a
bore monitor for your jobsite.
Check-n-Wrap Program
If a gas line is exposed during excacation, you are required to
notify the City of Mesa immediately at
480-644-2261.
An inspector will come out and visit the worksite to check for
damages to the pipe and ensure that the exposed pipe is
properly protected with backfill material.
This is a free inspection!
Excess Flow Valves (EFV's)
Be aware that EFV's are installed on new/renewed single family
home gas
service lines and are designed to limit the flow of gas in the
event a line is damaged. More on EFV's
Call 480-644-4277 (GASS) to report
hits and damages to City of Mesa facilities.
For damages resulting in the escape of natural gas, call
911 and 480-644-4277 (GASS).
Are you digging
safely? -
Read more
Energy Resources Department
Address: PO Box 1466
Mesa, AZ 85211
Phone: 480-644-4444
(Non-Emergency)
Email
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gas Odors or Emergencies:
480-644-4277 (GASS) or 911
(24 hours/7 days)
Electric Emergencies:
480-644-2266 or 911
(24 hours/7 days)
Report Utility Theft
Contacts:
Frank McRae, Department
Director