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Beneath the beautiful skyline we know as Pikes Peak
lies an underground world of gas,electric, water and wastewater pipelines.
In Colorado Springs we have roughly 5,000 miles of natural gas pipelines
and over 16,000 total combined electric lines.
What you don't know above and below can hurt you.
Our mission is to provide safe reliable utility service to our customers,
as well as protect our employees.
Safety and awareness are priorities here at Colorado Springs Utilities.
Our underground gas pipelines are one of the safest means of transporting gas to our area,
but accidents can happen.
Knowing the 3 S's of gas leak detection;
smell, sight and sound, could save your life.
Smell: A pungent odor much like rotten eggs or skunks.
Sight: Grass or plants turning brown or discolored near a meter or pipeline.
Or bubbles coming up from a wet ground area.
Sound: Hissing or whistling sound coming from a gas meter
or appliance in your home or business.
Whether you smell, see or hear a gas leak the most important thing
is to leave the area and call for help.
Don't do anything that could create a spark such as using your cell phone,
turning on a light switch or opening a garage door, or opening a window.
Just leave then dial 911. And alert Colorado Springs Utilities by calling 448-4800.
What you don't smell can be just as lethal.
Carbon monoxide is colorless odorless deadly gas.
Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer
because you can't see it, taste it or smell it.
CO is easily absorbed into the bloodstream displacing oxygen
resulting in brain damage or even death.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include
shortness of breath, headaches, confusion and nausea.
Install carbon monoxide alarms on every floor in your home and business
and have your furnace inspected annually by a licensed professional.
At Colorado Springs Utilities we constantly work to keep our gas system intact
but it's important for customers to know they are responsible for the gas piping that enters their home or business,
as well as what they can do to reduce the chance for gas leaks.
Have pipes checked annually, keep gas meters free of vegetation,
snow or ice, and keep flammable liquids such as gasoline
and paint thinner away from furnaces and water heaters.
Our electric infrastructure is so expansive
that if you place it end to end, it would reach from Colorado Springs to Anchorage Alaska.
With that much equipment it is important to share safety tips.
Never touch a line, even if you don't think it's a power line.
Always assume any line is energized.
When carrying a ladder or a long tools keep at least 10 feet between you and the utility line.
Colorado Springs Utilities keep trees clear of electric lines and poles
because they can cause outages when tree limbs fall.
One of the biggest blackouts in the northeast in 2003, that left fifty million people in the United States and Canada without power
was due to a tree limb entangled in power lines.
So call us for a free inspection and trimming around trees that can interfere with power lines.
The most common safety incident is when a utility line is damaged during digging projects
such as concrete work, landscaping or fence replacement.
Before you dig for any home or commercial project
call the National number 811 to have the utility lines located and marked.
A call to 811 before you dig saves lives
and reduces damage to property and buried lines.
It's safe, it's easy and it's the law.
We have well-established electric and natural gas operations and maintenance programs at Springs Utilities.
Federally regulated for your safety and ours.
Again, our priority is to provide safe reliable utilities
as well as help our customers do their part.
If you have any questions about safety please call for 448-4800