Call before digging saves time, trouble and costly repairs

Craig Moore with MLGW's Gas Engineering gives safety tips to customers in Lowe's during last year's Gas Safety Awareness Day. 

Years ago early in his construction career, Joe L. Williams and another worker dug a hole while planting a 10-foot oak tree in a new Germantown subdivision.

“We thought we were being careful but we cut into a gas line with a shovel,” Williams said. “It hissed like a snake. The other guy I was with knew what to do. He reached in like John Wayne with a pair of pliers and crimped the line. This was before cell phones so I ran back to the office and called MLGW.”

Williams who runs Joe Williams Construction in Memphis said the moment taught him a lesson: “I don’t care if it’s a flower bed or something minor, I always call before I dig.”

While the consequences for Williams luckily weren’t life-threatening, it can be.

To get the word out, MLGW is teaming up Friday (March 27) with local Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores to promote natural gas safety awareness from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The “Call 811 Before You Dig” day comes just in time for April’s celebration of National Safe Digging Month.

            Last year, 233 gas lines in Shelby County ruptured from damage caused by digging. Another 82 gas meters were struck above ground with lawnmowers and other equipment. Such digs – either by folks not calling to find where their utility and cable lines are buried or from contractors who called but hit lines anyway – resulted in rotten egg-like fumes spewing into neighborhoods, business districts and rural areas.

Each year hundreds of homeowners, contractors and developers fail to call before they dig resulting in thousands of dollars in damages to busted gas lines.

Nationally, the Common Ground Alliance’s 2013 Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) pinpointed that one in four incidents resulted from someone failing to notify local authorities before digging. Homeowners or contractors using the wrong tools like a backhoe instead of a shovel caused about half of the reported DIRT cases.

“We have 181 miles of gas transmission lines and 4,800 miles of smaller distribution lines going to homes and businesses. The problem with this kind of leak is, it’s preventable,” said Clift Phillips, lead gas system integrity engineer at Memphis Light Gas and Water.

While it rarely happens, a single spark from a lit cigarette, a backhoe hitting concrete or pavement or even the buildup of static electricity at the rupture point could set off a deadly explosion.

            Phillips explained why: “Gas lines can have up to 250 pounds of pressure. A car tire has 30 to 40 pounds of pressure.”

            When installed, gas lines are required to be at least a foot underground. But over time with erosion and landscaping, the lines could be closer to the surface.

Last year, MLGW general foreman for facilities location Vic Sawyer and 15 of his workers spray-painted almost 64,000 areas where gas and other utility lines were buried from homeowners and contractors who called 811 before digging. The program which has been in existence since 1983 provides the location. Unfortunately locaters are unable to ascertain the specific depth the lines are buried.

            So far, Sawyer and his crew have answered 7,318 calls this year for the free utility location service. “If you are piercing the earth, it’s time to call,” Sawyer urged. “If you are putting in a new flower bed, an irrigation system, a basketball goal or repairing your fence, you need to call us.”

Even when it is marked, diggers still run into trouble at times. “We were putting in a driveway on Shady Hall just off Mendenhall and hit a gas line,” said contractor James Shepherd. “It cost us $1,500 to fix it.”

While Shepherd thinks the 811 program is good, even if an area is marked, he added, “They don’t know how deep it is.”

            For Williams’ part, he can’t understand why more contractors and homeowners fail to use the free service. “I’ve driven by other construction sites when they have hit stuff and you just shake your head,” said Williams. “Why didn’t you call?”

      Who ya gonna call?

• Call 811 at least three business days before you or a contractor starts digging so that underground lines can be marked for free
• Call 911 or MLGW’s emergency line 901-528-4465 –  if you smell rotten egg-like fumes, hear a hissing sound or see dirt blowing from a recently dug hole
• Leave the area on foot before using cell phones, flashlights or other electric or battery-operated devices 

Gas lines damaged in 2014

Shelby County homeowners or contractors damaged over 300 gas lines from either digging or a lawnmower or other equipment hitting gas meters. Here is where those potentially deadly ruptures happened:

Memphis: 195                                          Collierville: 17           

Germantown: 33                                      Arlington: 12

Shelby County: 27                                    Lakeland: 7

Bartlett: 21                                               Millington: 3

MLGW Promotes Gas Safety Awareness March 27

Local Lowe’s Stores Team with MLGW for Safety Awareness Campaign

MLGW and Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores in Shelby County are teaming up to promote natural gas safety awareness and “Call 811 Before You Dig” on Friday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gas safety day is in preparation for April which is National Safe Digging Month and also observed in Tennessee.

On MLGW’s Natural Gas Safety Awareness Day, March 27, the Division’s Gas Engineering employees will staff display tables at several Lowe’s locations to provide information and brochures on natural gas safety, which is especially relevant in the springtime. That’s the season when many homeowners and contractors engage in digging, excavating, landscaping and gardening, as well as home and business construction projects. Natural gas safety is very important in light of recent natural gas explosions like the house blown apart in New Jersey in February.

There will also be information available to Lowe’s visitors about Tennessee One Call, the national 811 safe digging hotline and the “Call 811 Before You Dig” law.

There will be information available on:

• Damage prevention awareness
• Leak recognition and response
• Awareness of hazards and prevention measures
• Pipeline purpose and reliability
• One-call requirements for transmission pipelines

Below is a list of participating Lowe’s locations:

• 430 Germantown Parkway, Cordova, TN
• 585 N. Perkins Road, Memphis, TN
• 8490 Highway 51 North, Millington, TN
• 8300 Highway 64, Bartlett, TN
• 425 New Byhalia Road, Collierville, TN
• 7895 Winchester Road, Memphis, TN

For more information about Tennessee One Call, visit http://www.tennessee811.com/. More natural gas safety information can be found on MLGW’s website at www.mlgw.com.

Community Conservation Day Giveaways bring smiles to customers

MLGW Energy Technicians Mike Hamrick and Vidale Cothran handed out about 150 boxes with energy-saving goodies like compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow faucet aerators, credit card-sized water temperature testers and electrical outlet socket gaskets at the Peggy Prater-Harvey Community Office, 2935 Lamar on March 19. Several customers said they appreciated the Conservation Day giveaways.

“I think it’s cool,” said Vincent Brown.

After seeing the energy-saving light bulbs, Carla Jeffries said, “I’ve got a couple of them in my home. I’ve seen the difference as far as not having to replace the bulbs every two or three months.”

(Left to Right) Clark Postell, Tyrisha Smith and George Miller. Clark Postell couldn’t believe the energy-saving boxes were free. “That’s nice,” said George Miller. Added Tyrisha Smith, “This means less on our light bill.”

“I think it’s marvelous,” said Elmo Randolph Jr. “Just what I needed – these light bulbs.”

“Anything helps,” said William Thomas.

“My wife said get a box,” Eric Owens said on Conservation Day as MLGW Energy Tech Vidale Cothran helps him and Energy Tech Mike Hamrick looks on. After seeing the light bulbs, Owens added, “These are the ones I use.” 

“This is wonderful. We always need light bulbs. This is in the spirit of giving,” said Alice Hurt. Moments after leaving the office, Hurt returned: “I forgot to tell you. It saves energy and finances.”

Surplus Vehicle and Equipment Auction

The 2015 MLGW Surplus Vehicle and Equipment Auction will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at the South Service Center, 3020 Gill Rd., beginning at 10 a.m. For more details, contact Christin Webb, Purchasing at cwebb@mlgw.org or visit www.mlgw.com/publicauction.  

MLGW Road Work Impacts Traffic on Ridgeway

Our crews will reduce the northbound lanes of Ridgeway, near Interstate 385, to one lane for the remainder of today and Thursday as crews work to repair damage from a water main break that occurred this morning.

Depending on the weather, road work is expected to be completed on Thursday.

March 16-21 is Fix a Leak Week

This week, we're chasing down leaks! Did you know that household leaks can waste more than one trillion gallons of water annually nationwide? Did you know that amount could double when water leaks go unreported at work? March 16-21 is the national WaterSense Fix a Leak Week. Help save water resources at home and work by chasing down leaks in restrooms, kitchens, and at outdoor faucets. The attached Fix a Leak Week tip sheet will help you save money and our valuable resource - water.

Your wallet and MLGW will thank you for saving resources.

Inclement Weather Creates Service Order Backlog

Due to inclement weather, MLGW has a backlog of  service orders to be completed. 

If you have requested new service, transfer of service or disconnection of service, then we will be working those requests on Saturday, March 7, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.  

 If you would like to reschedule or cancel your request, please call 544-6549. 

Spring Forward Sunday, March 8

Did you know Benjamin Franklin is credited with the concept of daylight saving time? The basic idea is to make the best use of daylight hours by shifting the clock forward in the spring and backward in the fall. In 2005, President Bush signed into law a new energy policy bill that extends daylight saving time by four weeks. The bill took effect in 2007. Therefore, daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March.

Source: Nasa.gov

MLGW Community Offices Open at 10 am Today

All MLGW Community Offices will re-open at 10 a.m. today.

MLGW Community Office locations are located at Main Office, 245 South Main Street; North Community Office. 2424 Summer Avenue; South Community Office, 2935 Lamar Avenue; Whitehaven Community Office, 1111 East Shelby Drive; and Millington Community Office, 5131 Navy Road.

No service disconnections will occur Friday.

MLGW Prepared for Possible Icy Conditions

With the strong possibility of ice, sleet, and snow accumulation in the Memphis and Shelby County area starting this afternoon, MLGW is taking precautions to ensure that utility service will remain as reliable as possible. In the event of outages, crews are on hand to respond as quickly and safely as possible.

MLGW is continually staying in contact with the National Weather Service and closely monitoring the weather situation. As a precaution, MLGW has delayed residential service disconnections for the remainder of the week.

"MLGW employees have been monitoring this situation and we have all of our resources in place. If indeed a significant storm blankets our city, we are ready to respond," said MLGW President and CEO Jerry Collins Jr.

Please do not assume that MLGW knows your power is out. Customers are reminded to call 544-6500 to report an electric outage. The automated outage reporting system will receive the report and let customers know of a possible restoration time, if one is available. Customers can update the phone number associated with their accounts by emailing mlgwcustomercare@mlgw.org or logging into MyAccount.

Customers are also encouraged to download MLGW’s App which is available in the Google Play and Apple iTunes market. MLGW’s App allows customers access to MLGW’s outage map and outage updates.

Customers are reminded to call the following numbers:

To Report an Outage: 544-6500
To Report an Emergency (such as downed lines or gas leaks): 528-4465.
All Other Inquiries: 544-MLGW (6549)

MLGW Social Media:

MLGW.com
twitter.com/MLGW
facebook.com/MLGW1
mlgw.blogspot.com

Free MLGW Apps: Google Play (play.google.com) and Apple Store (www.apple.com)

Winter Safety Information:

Water Pipes:

Water pipes can burst anytime temperatures are below freezing. A burst water pipe or water heater is considered to be an emergency situation and could pose a danger of flooding the building.

· Customers should open cabinet doors and turn water to a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing.

· Customers can also wrap pipes either in pipe insulation (available at hardware stores) or with towels, clothes, etc... to prevent pipes from freezing.

· If your pipes freeze, turn off the main valve inside your house (if possible).


Space Heaters and Gas Appliances:

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home, make sure that all natural gas appliances, such as your water heater, furnace and space heaters, are vented outside. Keep chimneys and flues clear of all debris, and use gas space heaters only according to manufacturers' instructions. We also recommend that you have your gas appliances inspected annually by a licensed professional.

Do not use space heaters overnight and when no one is home. Position space heaters so they are not positioned near flammable objects.

If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, seek medical assistance immediately and move the victim, if possible, to a well-ventilated area, then call our 24-hour emergency number, 528-4465.

Portable Generators

Portable Generators are a great way to back up your power in case an outage hits your home, but using one can be dangerous unless you follow these important safety tips:

Never use a generator indoors or in an enclosed area such as a garage. Generators emit toxic carbon monoxide from the engine exhaust.

A generator should only be operated in a well-ventilated and dry area, away from air intakes to the home. It should be protected from direct exposure to rain and snow, preferably under a canopy, open shed or carport.

Do not attempt to restore power to your entire house by plugging the generator into a wall outlet. The electricity produced by a generator cannot only ruin your home's wiring and start a fire, it can also feed back into the utility system and energize a line thought to be without power possibly killing utility workers trying to restore power. It can also cause damage to the generator when electric service is restored.

Handle fuel carefully. Turn the generator off prior to refueling. Gasoline, kerosene and other flammable liquids should be stored outside of living areas in properly labeled safety containers.
Turn off or disconnect all appliances prior to operating a portable generator. Once the generator is running, appliances powered by the generator can be turned on one at a time.

For additional safety and energy-saving tips, visit mlgw.com

MLGW Delays Disconnects Due To Cold Temps

The delay will last until the end of the week.

In anticipation of severe cold temperatures, starting today through the end of the week, MLGW will not cutoff residential services.

Service disconnections are a last resort. MLGW monitors weather forecasts on a daily basis to determine whether to implement its weather policy on disconnects.

Given the extended nature of this latest round of winter weather, residential disconnects will not occur for the remainder of the week.

Customers are encouraged to continue managing their utility bill. For assistance, customers can call MLGW Customer Care at 544-6549.

Winter Energy Tips + Protect Your Pipes

Winter energy tips

Follow these tips to keep your hard-earned energy dollars from escaping your home.

• Set your heating thermostat no higher than 68 degrees. Each degree above 68 adds as much as four percent to your bill.

• Dress in layers to retain body heat.

• Keep delivery and return vents open in rooms you use and closed in those you don’t.

• Keep central heating air filters clean.

• Close garage doors.

• Add weather stripping and insulation to your home to prevent air from escaping.


Protect your pipes from freezing

Freezing temperatures make your pipes vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. Therefore, you must protect your pipes from freezing temperatures.

• Open interior cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer air, turn all inside faucets to a slow drip, and wrap or cover all exposed outside faucets.

• Do not turn your heat off if you are going out of town; just turn it down several degrees.

• Do not forget to insulate your above-ground water pipes, too. Pipes in the crawlspace or basement under your house could be susceptible to a deep freeze; therefore, pipe insulation is always important. Water heater pipes in the attic should be insulated, as well.

Sisnett named Board Chair

Derwin Sisnett was recently named the new MLGW Board of Commissioners Chairman for 2015. He replaces Rick Masson.

Prior to co-founding Gestalt Community Schools, Chairman Sisnett served as the Executive Director of the Power Center CDC, a Community Development Corporation in the Hickory Hill community. In addition to his work at GCS, Sisnett is active at the University of Memphis where he serves as an adjunct professor in the department of Educational Psychology and Research. He is also a member of several community-based organizations.

Darrell Cobbins will serve as the Vice Chair for 2015.

Download the MLGW App Today!

Our app makes it convenient to do business with MLGW. You can download an app for your Android or iPhone device that allows you to access a variety of utility-related information, including outage status and a mobile-friendly outage map.

The app is available for free at the Google store, through Android devices, or via iTunes for iPhone and iPad users. One of the app’s most useful features is the ability to check the status of an outage at your address. Other features include: payment arrangements, important numbers, payment locations, bill due date and amount, as well as energy tips.

Aging in Place Program - Launching in March 2015

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis' Aging in Place program, a partnership between Service Over Self (SOS), MLGW and The Plough Foundation, will launch in March 2015.

This program will improve the physical accessibility of homes and make critical repairs to help Shelby County senior citizens continue to live in their own homes longer. The program will begin accepting applications on March 2, 2015.

Applications will be completed over the phone at 901-322-3500. Hearing impaired applicants may apply in person. More information is available here.

To qualify, you must:

• Live in Shelby County, Tennessee.

• You must have one person living in the home full-time who is 60 years of age or older.

• The senior citizen must have a qualifying need for accessibility modifications, weatherization or home repairs as determined by Habitat.

• The owner of the home must live in the home full-time.

• The owner of the home cannot be behind on city and/or county property taxes.

• The owner of the home cannot be behind on the mortgage, if there is one.

• The household must meet the income guidelines based on family size.

• Those selected for the program must be willing to participate in energy efficiency training and follow-up surveys with Habitat.

Rental properties ARE NOT eligible to receive assistance through this program. Cosmetic work also is not a part of the Aging in Place program. This program is focused on critical home repairs; mobility and accessibility modifications; and weatherization that would be considered crucial to seniors’ ability to remain in their homes as they age. For the latest updates, please call the Aging in Place program information hotline at 322-3500.