News Release

Extra Care Earns Award for Walton EMC Underground Crews

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2007

Contact Greg Brooks, 770/266-2307

MONROE, Ga. – Line technicians who install underground electric cable for Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) have earned an award for their care and extra effort in preventing utility outages and accidents.

The Golden Backhoe, given annually by the Georgia Utilities Coordinating Council (GUCC), recognizes utilities that have done the best job in “keeping Georgia safe and connected.” Winners demonstrate knowledge of the process of locating and avoiding potential underground hazards by their low accident rate.

Line Technicians Jerry Miller and Marcus Riley use shovels to positively locate a gas line before digging with heavy equipment.

The award’s purpose is to promote safe digging practices to avoid expensive and disruptive underground utility cuts. Walton EMC crews received the award at the GUCC fall conference.

As our area grows, the maze of underground utilities–including electricity, telephone, cable, water, sewer and natural gas–gets more complicated to navigate.

How do crews prevent cutting other utilities’ lines?

“Getting lines located plays a big part in helping us,” says Line Crew Supervisor Larry Lawson. When any type of underground work is scheduled, even something as simple as planting a tree, Georgia law requires notifying the Georgia Utilities Protection Center.

Consumers can access the location process by simply dialing 811. “Having the new 811 phone number makes it easy to remember,” says Lawson. But even after the lines are located, by paint marks on the ground or small flags, crews must still be diligent.

“We probe by hand and then do a lot of digging with hole diggers and shovels,” says Journeyman Line Technician Larry Johnson. “And in this drought, that’s not easy,” adds Journeyman Line Technician Tommy Maddox.

Only when crews are satisfied they know the whereabouts of other underground lines to the best of their ability do they bring out heavy equipment for trenching and digging.

When asked how his crews earned the award, Lawson replied “Teamwork–that’s how we did it.” That teamwork stretches beyond Lawson’s crews; it also includes Walton EMC customer-owners who cooperate in helping line technicians get the job done.

Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company that serves 116,000 accounts over its ten-county service area between Atlanta and Athens. It's subsidiary, Walton EMC Natural Gas, serves natural gas accounts statewide.

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