A contractor put in a BC 1 Call before hitting a gas line while doing excavation work on Sixth Street.
At about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 26, crews from New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services responded to calls about a broken gas line in the 500-block of Sixth Street. FortisBC crews soon arrived on the scene, assessed the situation, and made the necessary repairs.
A one-block stretch of Sixth Street was temporarily closed to vehicles and pedestrians. Within about an hour, the street had reopened to single-lane traffic.
Nicole Brown, corporate communications manager for FortisBC, said the damage occurred to a section of a gas main that was no longer in use.
“FortisBC responds to damaged gas lines regularly,” she said in a statement to the Record. “In 2024, there were 779 instances of gas line damage across the province, with around 70 per cent caused by those who did not contact BC 1 Call before digging.”
Brown didn’t have details on this case, but said it’s a good reminder on the importance of contacting BC 1 Call at least three business days before digging to gather information on buried utility lines, and to always practice safe digging.
“We would like to remind all contractors and residents to always click or call BC 1 Call before any digging to avoid damaging underground utility lines. It’s crucial to gather information on buried utility lines in the area and to dig by hand within one metre of the gas line,” she said. “Approximately 90 per cent of damages to our gas lines are preventable by following safe excavation practices.”
Kwaku Agyare-Manu, the city’s deputy director of engineering services, said the incident occurred while the contractor was doing excavation for the Sixth Street public realm improvements project. He said all required procedures and due diligence for digging were completed — including BC 1 Call.
“It is extremely challenging to determine a precise location of underground utilities in older urban environments,” he said. “The engineer drawings for the site indicated only an approximate location for the gas line.”
Agyare-Manu said the contractor is conducting its own incident investigation, per standard practice.
“Findings will determine what, if any, alternative or additional actions should be taken moving forward to prevent a repeat situation,” he said.
Agyare-Manu said the city does not have any information on the purpose of the gas line or to which properties it is connected. He said the city only had information about its approximate location.
According to Agyare-Manu, FortisBC will bill the contractor directly for costs related to the incident.
“The safety of the public is a priority to us, and we will always respond when we receive a report of damage,” Brown said. “Even though there are instances when they might also have to pay for repairs (which can vary depending on the damage and resources required), the most important action is to call us.”
