50 Flee as Back Hoe Ruptures Gas Main

A water company that punctured a gas line in a Saugus neighborhood Tuesday did not check with other utilities that have pipelines beneath the street before excavating, several officials said.

The natural gas that escaped from a quarter-sized hole in the Southern California Gas Co. plastic pipe did not explode or cause injury. But the rupture at 10 a.m. forced the temporary evacuation of about 50 residents from 19 homes around the 27600 block of Hyssop Lane, said Battalion Chief David Baisley of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Santa Clarita Water Co. was called two days earlier by resident James Brent, who had noticed water pooling in the street. Two water company employees were dispatched Tuesday morning and began to dig up the street with a back hoe when they struck the four-inch-diameter natural gas pipe, said Bill Manetta, president of the utility.

Agencies Respond

Three engine companies, a hazardous materials unit and sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene, Baisley said.

Water company president Manetta said the accident occurred because the “gas line was shallower than it was supposed to be.” He said the crew expected the line to be 42 inches deep, rather than 30 inches.

But Rick Terrell, a spokesman for the gas company, said 30 inches is “our standard depth.” He and other officials said the water company could have avoided striking the gas line if it had followed standard procedure to check the presence and location of pipes or cables.

That procedure is set down under state laws passed in 1983, gas officials said. Anyone excavating on a public right of way must check with the Underground Service Alert, a nonprofit company owned by its users, said Mark Hoyal, president of the service.

When the service gets a request, it performs a computer search and notifies utilities, “often within five minutes,” said Hoyal. Any utilities with pipes or cables that might be affected by the excavation then mark the location and depth of buried pipes or cables on the pavement with paint.

Santa Clarita Water is one of the 398 members of the service, Hoyal said, but the last request received from Santa Clarita Water came Aug. 1, for a different operation.

‘Emergency’ Operation

But Manetta said the operation was “an emergency” and therefore the excavation could take place without notifying the Underground Service Alert.

Hoyal questioned whether the Tuesday incident constituted an emergency.

Residents were evacuated to Hyssop Park, a small fenced area 50 yards down the street. By late afternoon, gas service had been restored.