PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON AUGUST 27, 2016, AT 0711 HOURS, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF A GAS LEAK NEAR 677 BEUNA VISTA DR, WATSONVILLE. PG&E GAS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (GSR) ARRIVED ON-SITE AT 0745 HOURS. UPON ARRIVAL, THE GSR OBSERVED A DIG-IN ON EITHER DFM 1816-01 (MP 4.45) OR A 3/4"" SERVICE LINE FROM 1817-01 FROM AGRICULTURE WORK THAT OCCURRED ON 8/26/16. THE OEC WAS ACTIVATED AND THE LINE WAS SHUT-IN BY 1900 HOURS TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THE DIG-IN. ON 8/28/16 AT 0048 HOURS, THE DIG-IN LOCATION WAS CONFIRMED TO BE ON LINE DFM 1816-01. THE CAP OF A 3/4"" MUELLER SERVICE TEE WAS STRUCK, CAUSING A CRACK ABOVE THE BRANCH WELD MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 1"" IN LENGTH AND 1/4"" WIDE AT THE WIDEST POINT ALONG ITS LENGTH. THE EXCAVATOR FARMING COMPANY THAT CAUSED THE DIG-IN WAS INTERRUPCION SOCIAL ENTERPRISE. THE EXCAVATOR DID NOT HAVE A USA TICKET. THERE WERE VISIBLE PG&E MARKERS ON THE PROPERTY. APPROXIMATELY 60 CUSTOMERS WERE IMPACTED AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. CNG WAS PROVIDED TO THE IMPACTED CUSTOMERS. MAJORITY OF THE CUSTOMERS WERE RESTORED BY 8/28/16 AT 1148 HOURS. THE REMAINING CUSTOMERS WERE RESTORED SHORTLY AFTER. REPAIRS TO THE PIPELINE WERE COMPLETED AND THE PIPELINE WAS RESTORED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS ON 8/31/16 AT 1100 HOURS. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS REPORTED ON SITE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, FATALITIES OR IGNITION ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCIDENT. ESTIMATED UNINTENTIONAL VOLUME OF GAS RELEASE IS LESS THAN 3 MMCF. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DOT AND CPUC DUE TO THE UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF GAS AND ESTIMATED DAMAGES EXCEEDING $50,000.