Phoenix, Ariz. -  The Arizona Corporation Commission’s Office of Pipeline Safety (AZOPS) has one of the lowest excavation damage rates for natural gas pipeline in the United States, according to the latest Damage Prevention Performance Report just released.

In the gas industry, a common metric used to report damage rate has historically been total excavation damages per 1,000 call tickets.  In 2024, the average pipeline damages per 1,000 tickets was 0.75 in Arizona.  This indicator may be attributed to the AZOPS proactive approach to enforcing Operator Qualification requirements, the education and enforcement of the Underground Facilities Law and to the operators engaging and implementing their damage prevention and public awareness programs.  As you will see, AZ811 One call tickets increased in 2024, and the number of hits per 1000 tickets went down compared to previous years. 

AZOPS team members inspect and oversee a total combined pipeline length of 45,037 miles and 1,456,602 services.  A total of 676 pipeline hits/damages were reported by operators during 2024.  Analysis of the reports reveal “3rd Party Excavator Error” was the leading cause of pipeline damage for 2024, the second cause was “No AZ811 Tickets” followed by “Incorrect Marking” and “Error by LDC’s personnel.”

To view the report, go to http://azcc.gov/safety/pipeline-safety/pipeline.