PUGET SOUND ENERGY
gas_distribution Incident — YELM, WA — October 31, 2018
Incident Information
| Incident Date | October 31, 2018 |
| Operator | PUGET SOUND ENERGY |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | YELM |
| State | WA |
| County | THURSTON |
| Coordinates | 46.92009, -122.56826 |
Cause
| Cause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE |
| Subcause | EXCAVATION DAMAGE BY THIRD PARTY |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $104,637 |
| Emergency Response | $19,669 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"PUGET SOUND ENERGY (PSE) RESPONDED TO A BROKEN 2"" PE GAS DISTRIBUTION MAIN IN YELM WA ON OCTOBER 31ST 2018. PSE WAS ONSITE AT 14:14 AND FOUND THAT THE LEAK WAS UNDER HARD SURFACE IN A BUSY INTERSECTION. THE SITUATION WAS CONTROLLED WHEN THE LEAK WAS UNCOVERED AND THE MAIN SQUEEZED AT 18:18. DUE TO NO CUSTOMERS DOWNSTREAM OF THE BREAK THE LINE WAS NOT BYPASSED, PSE CONTRACTOR INFRASOURCE COMPLETED THE FINAL REPAIR BY REPLACING 6' OF 2"" PE MAIN AND THE LINE WAS PURGED BACK INTO SERVICE AT 20:00. THE FINAL REPAIR IS ESTIMATED AT $128,000.00. THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED WHEN A TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONTRACTOR HIT THE MAIN WITH A DIRECTIONAL DRILL. THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONTRACTOR HAD AN ACTIVE LOCATE TICKET, BUT THE MAIN WAS NOT MARKED IN THE LOCATION WHERE THE PIPELINE WAS HIT. PSE FINDS THAT THE DAMAGE WAS A RESULT OF INACCURATE LOCATES BY THE LOCATING COMPANY ELM UTILITY SERVICES."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.