PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

AT 1351 HOURS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2015, PG&E WAS NOTIFIED OF A THIRD-PARTY DIG-IN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ELK GROVE-FLORIN ROAD AND GERBER ROAD IN SACRAMENTO. THE THIRD-PARTY (WESTERN ENGINEERING) WAS USING A BACKHOE TO DIG NEW UNDERGROUND SERVICES (SEWER MANHOLES) WHEN THEY STRUCK AN 8-INCH PLASTIC DISTRIBUTION MAIN, CAUSING AN UNINTENTIONAL RELEASE OF NATURAL GAS. WESTERN ENGINEERING PROVIDED A VALID USA TICKET (#413394). PG&E FACILITIES WERE PROPERLY LOCATED AND MARKED, BUT THE EXCAVATOR FAILED TO HAND DIG, EXPOSE, AND PROTECT THE FACILITIES BEFORE USING MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT. PG&E WAS ONSITE AT 1405 HOURS. GAS WAS SHUT IN BY 1737 HOURS BY EXCAVATING AND SQUEEZING THE DISTRIBUTION MAIN. FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE, AND SACRAMENTO MEDIA (CHANNEL 10 AND 3) WERE OBSERVED ON SCENE. TRAFFIC WAS BLOCKED ON GERBER ROAD (EAST OF ELK GROVE-FLORIN ROAD) AND REROUTED FROM THE AREA. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE CPUC AND DOT DUE TO DAMAGES LIKELY EXCEEDING $50,000. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES REPORTED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS NO IGNITION AND THE ESTIMATED VOLUME OF GAS RELEASED WAS LESS THAN THREE MILLION CUBIC FEET. APPROXIMATELY 768 RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS LOST GAS SERVICE DURING THE INCIDENT. PG&E RESTORED GAS SERVICE TO ALL THE AVAILABLE CUSTOMERS (I.E. APPROXIMATELY 431 CUSTOMERS) BY 0200 HOURS ON FEBRUARY 28, 2015. BY MARCH 1, 2015, PG&E RESTORED GAS SERVICE FOR APPROXIMATELY 323 ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS. AS OF MARCH 26, 2015, SERVICE WAS RESTORED FOR AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT CUSTOMERS; THE REMAINING SIX HOMES ARE VACANT.