Page 7 - Texas811 Magazine 2018 Issue 3

Mickey also investigates when a we have had a bunch ot these in the

customer claims the electric company past that we dldn’t know about. I'm

caused damage to their home, business surprised that there's not more talk

or equipment. It was during those nbuul this problem," Mickey said.

investigations that he liegan to notice "It seems like a rash ot these have

a trend 7 several houses that suttered happened in the last year."

electrical tires recently had fuundntiun Sm? mu mum H mm“ “W

work pertormed. P .’ V .

to the 811 community and electrical

”LasI year, l saw maybe a dozen companies, Mickey wasn't sure or a fail-

toundation repairs that caused sate procedure that would prevent this

damage to homes one way or another, sort of disaster trom happening. But he F O
sometimes q}uit}e catastrophic — in did}say that comifaiunication will be key

some cases t e ouse humed down," tot e success o unire initiatives.

M“““Y :"““"‘ "O"? "°“5° 5” one or the things he mentioned to '

toundation work that caused it and two _

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Mickey said thatduring investigations consider adding intormation about » u — _.
he's seen several instances when a toundation repairs to tuture tickets, = k. /A .
house gets jacked up, it causes a wire alerting utility owner/operators that _ , ‘K. V .g , - l
to pull out ui a lug in the meter socket, this type of work would he done ‘
causing a short. But sometimes the ,, . . t -
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"The toundation repair that caused ot our design engineers —jusI like we ‘V

the three house ares on one cul.de.sac do when a customer wants new service ..

pulled the energized conductor loose or an upgrade," he said. "We will look

and down into the ground going into at it and put into play countermeasures

the house,” he said. ”Since everything to allow them do what they need to do

is connected to ground, and the ground without any hazard or danger Any

is ultimately connected through water utility would be happy to do that." '

“"25 hm‘ ‘“ H“ ‘"3’ ma“ ‘hm }“"“' some uf the less-reputable toundation

it got to the other two homes. The rep" mmpanm Wm M mg

P‘“"‘‘’‘“3 5”‘ “°‘ "“d °}‘“‘”“ “"3 homeowner to call 811 to report the

wood, which caused the fires." . . .

digging activity, rather than handling _

surprisingly, the damage doesn't the ticket request themselves, which also to ta| k W I t h a n
always happen while the toundation complicates things, according to Mickey

work is underway — the hazard can And many of the fuundntiun repair e X C a V a‘ 0 r’)
linger undetected tor months. contracts that homeowners sign have '

.- ll print that ahsolves the contractor

”We had an incident last year where "gm d h I f

thzguufeffflfznlgvelfggdmé‘ 33.5% of
con acor a een nise ora u . _, _ _
three months. They did the work §':"‘° “““* “E” “““‘“5“‘ ““ ‘““*‘“‘ 8 1 1 M a g a 2 I n e
during a dry season. During the next ’ ‘

hig rain the ground got saturated, He also mentioned that its likely that re a d e r S a re
causing the ground In swell and the not many leveling contractors are aware e x c a v a I 0 rs a n d
house to raise up a little more — and that this problem can occur, as its C a n
that was the straw that broke the certainly not something that happens on y e S ‘ y 0 u

camel's back. It caused dama e to the eve oh I’ e a C h H‘! 9 m

5 wt

=“°‘°"‘°' *PP‘“"°'=°- ~tlrere may oe tounrlaaon people out fo r I e s s t h a n
Mickey thinks this problem is more there who only know this is going 5 C e n ts .
widespread and common than one on because they've experienced it

might expect, given that not every themselves. it they've never been taced

incident is investigated to its end. it with this, they might not know," he said.

a customer dozoxft make a claim that , . .

. . . it you rea homeowner having this , _ _ , .

coserv is responsible tor an incident, I D‘ Wm dam mm mm Om Mar. t.- r: n ample «ll

his investigations are typically wrapped VP‘ ' ’ V

. contractor is aware that they are p . J
up quickly, so there are likely dozens . . . J l e g on es
_ responsihle tor sulimitting a ticket to
°‘ °“'“ *"°*d*="‘> “W ‘W 3"" 811 oeture they dig and request that 5 0 L4 72 —o 1 '1 5
.. r . a th . :‘.::l.::::::‘:;;.:“::.:::;;:‘:r";::l v i is 2 i
e aveanou.ieconra or a .- .- r —. — —

comes in and gives us expert torensic occur

:::ll::i‘:2l:|l::nr::|;;:f:1StE R: sire 0*‘! W‘ a‘W=Y*' ‘W’ “‘° “"2 P""‘- 3

cars, issue a rerasaii . 5