In The News

PGW Encourages Family Emergency Readiness During National Preparedness Month

Creating plans and having critical supplies can protect family members in an emergency
 

PHILADELPHIA (September 7, 2022) – Throughout National Preparedness Month 2022 this September, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) reminds customers of the importance of planning for disasters and other emergencies. The theme of the month, "A Lasting Legacy," encourages families to establish a tradition of safety and preparedness by making plans, gathering supplies, and staying informed.

PGW encourages households to download and complete a family emergency plan or build one from templates available at ready.gov. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) website also offers free resources to help protect loved ones, generations of families, and communities.

Having a pre-packed kit can help keep families safe in natural disasters or emergencies. Emergency kit items should include:

• Non-perishable food and water that can last several days.
• Flashlights, radios & extra batteries.
• First aid kit.
• Vital medications.
• List of important phone numbers.

For emergency notifications, families may sign up to receive alerts by texting ReadyPhila to 888-777. Customers may also receive important information on PGW's social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) by following @MyPGW.

"National Preparedness Month is an opportunity to reinforce the commitment to a culture of safety for PGW customers and for families throughout Philadelphia," said Edward J. Fennell, PGW's Senior Director of Safety, Security & Business Continuity. "We encourage our customers, employees, and residents of Philadelphia to create, review, and update emergency planning for their families. Emergencies don't wait. Get ahead of a crisis and plan for one."

Visit PGW's website at pgworks.com/safety for more emergency information, tips on using natural gas service, and advice on how to stay safe at home. PGW urges anyone who smells gas to immediately call 215-235-1212.

###

About PGW:

Founded in 1836, The Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) is owned by the City of Philadelphia and is the largest municipally owned gas utility in the country. It manages a distribution system of approximately 6,000 miles of gas mains and service pipes supplying approximately 500,000 customers. PGW's operations are managed by a non-profit corporation, the Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation (PFMC). More information about the company is available at pgworks.com.

[

PGW Offices Will Close in Honor of Labor Day

PHILADELPHIA (September 1, 2022) – Philadelphia Gas Works’ (PGW) offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2022, in observance of Labor Day. All odor calls or gas-related emergencies should be immediately reported by calling 215-235-1212. 

Customers who need to access account information or pay their bill online can log into their PGW MyAccount or can pay by phone 215-235-1000 or make cash payments in person at hundreds of local retailers, including Walmart, CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and 7- Eleven. For information, visit pgworks.com/customer-care/your-home/ways-to-pay. 

PGW offices will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 

This holiday weekend, PGW applauds the hard-working men and women whose labor results in the safe delivery of natural gas services across Philadelphia.  
 

The Labor Day holiday weekend unofficially marks the final days of summer. PGW reminds customers, employees, and residents of Philadelphia to celebrate the long weekend safely.

[

PGW Reminds Residents and Contractors: Call 811 Before Digging

No matter the size of the digging project, avoid injury and property damage by
calling Pennsylvania’s “One Call” system 

PHILADELPHIA (August 11, 2022) – On August 11, National 811 Day, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) reminds City residents and contractors to call 811 before any sized digging project, whether simply planting flowers or building a deck. Dialing 811 connects homeowners and contractors to the Pennsylvania “One Call” system, which alerts utilities to identify the location of their service or distribution lines within the scope of the proposed worksite.

The respective utilities will visit the site to either indicate that the site is clear of utility lines, or mark and/or flag the location of its infrastructure. Last year, PGW safely addressed 80,429 One Call tickets to mark underground utility lines across Philadelphia. 

Calling 811 between three and 10 business days before excavating is legally required in Pennsylvania, prevents potential injury to residents and contractors, and reduces the risk of damaging natural gas infrastructure or other underground utility lines.  

Utilities mark their lines with specific color codes: red markings represent electric power lines, conduit and power cables; orange markings represent communication lines; blue represents water; and green markings indicate sewers and drain lines. PGW marks natural gas utility lines with yellow paint or flags.

Jobsites without visible paint or flag markings should be reported to 811. Anyone who suspects that a contractor may be digging without a valid Pennsylvania One Call ticket should call 811 to alert all facility owners of a possible safety concern. In 2019, the most recent data on record, costs of damages to buried utility lines in the U.S. were estimated at $30 billion.

Calls to Pennsylvania 811 are free for homeowners and answered 24 hours a day. Notifications to the system can also be made online at pa1call.org. For more information, visit, pgworks.com/safety-reliability/call-811-before-you-dig, and follow PGW on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In addition to encouraging everyone to “Call Before You Dig,” PGW also advises anyone who smells gas to leave the area immediately and call PGW’s 24-hour Emergency Hotline at (215) 235-1212.

To learn more about PGW’s commitment to safety, please visit pgworks.com/safety.

[

Page 26 of 81 pages.