Utility workers for Alliant Energy accidentally cut a gas line behind the residence at 1215 18th St. in Perry Friday afternoon while erecting a power pole.
The Perry Police Department, Perry Volunteer Fire Department and Perry First Responders responded to the incident.
There were no injuries, and no evacuation of the residential neighborhood, which included the Perry High School and Perry Middle School, was deemed necessary.
A spokesperson for USIC, a company specializing in underground utility location and damage prevention, said the line appeared to have been laid in a location differing from what the records indicated.
When the new power poles and lines were being put in last fall in our neighborhood, USIC could not find a gas line to save themselves. I watched as the crew putting in the poles had a near miss one day, and a week later they spent most of the afternoon hand-digging trenches to locate the gas line that was marked about 5 feet from where it was. The leadman of the power crew was better at “witching” the gas line than the USIC fellow was. The USIC fellow just shrugged his shoulders and drove away. What good is the “One Call” before you dig if they can’t find anything?
You have to realize that USIC is only using the records they are given. When many of the gas lines were put in years ago, the gas company put a steel wire in along the line for finding the line. Well, if you know your chemistry, steel rusts and goes away. You cannot find them now. When I dial one dig, they cannot tell me correctly where the gas lines are at my home. I know because I have had to lower my gas lines. It is not USIC’s problem. It is the records from the past. This past week I watched Mediacom people spend hours locating lines to keep from hitting anything. There is a lot of history underground here, and a lot of the records are not correct. Give them a break.