Safety Precautions You Need to Know

Water Heater Precautions

• Set your water heater to at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that harmful bacteria will not form inside the water heater. 
• Be aware that water heater temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit can cause scalding, especially to young children and the elderly. 

Carbon Monoxide Precautions 

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) comes from poorly functioning appliances, or appliances that are not vented or incorrectly vented. 
• You can’t see or smell CO. Only a CO detector can alert you to a problem. 
• Health officials recommend having CO detectors on every level of your home and within 10 feet of any sleeping areas. 
• CO poisoning symptoms can occur immediately or more gradually after long-term exposure. Symptoms are similar to the flu but do not include a fever. They include dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, confusion, nausea, and fainting. 
• If you suspect CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Be sure to call for help before helping others. CO poisoning can lead to brain damage or even death. 

Flammable Materials 

• Keep combustible and flammable materials (such as gasoline cans, cleaning solvents, rags and cloths) at least 18 inches away from your gas appliances.

Precautions To Take Around Natural Gas Meters

Precautions Around Natural Gas Meters

• Do not scratch or damage the protective coating (paint) on the meter and piping. 
• Do not bury any portion of the meter or its shutoff valve under dirt or mulch. 
• The owner is responsible for the maintenance of any piping on the house side of the natural gas meter. 
• Do not hang things or anchor laundry lines or plant supports to the gas meter or piping. 
• Do not chain a pet, bicycle, gas grill or anything else to the gas meter or piping. 
• Maintain a safe clearance between your outdoor grill and the gas meter. 
• Maintain a two-foot clearance to allow access to the meter and meter shut-off valve. 
• Call Richmond Gas Works for help with meter protection if the meter is located in an area where a car could strike it.

Inclement Weather Precautions 

In the event of a flood: 

• Shut off the natural gas supply valve to the appliance. 
• If you are evacuating the premises, shut off your natural gas valve at the meter. Use a wrench to turn the valve a quarter turn so that it is crosswise (perpendicular) to the pipe. 
• If you turn off the gas at the meter, do not turn it back on yourself. Call Richmond Gas Works to restore the gas service.

In the event of snow and ice:

• Use a broom, not a shovel, to keep your gas meter and regulator free from snow and ice.
• For sidewall vented appliances such as direct vent furnaces, fireplaces or hot water heaters, do not allow the outside vent to be blocked by snow and ice. Blocked vents can cause carbon monoxide to back up into the building.

Focusing on sustainability, safety and security with new LED streetlights

In 2020, the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities was converting 7,500 streetlight fixtures to LED lighting, meeting sustainability, safety and security needs. Streetlights are an important factor in public safety and quality of life, providing lighting for both residential and commercial uses. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will replace the present use of standard high pressure sodium vapor streetlights following a successful pilot project which tested the newer technology. LED lights are up to 80 percent more efficient than other lighting sources and use far less energy, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“I am proud that the streetlighting conversion project is moving forward. At a time when environmental impacts of our actions are felt more than ever, this project ties into the goals and road map laid out in my RVAgreen 2050 initiative,” said Mayor Levar Stoney.

Crews readying to convert fixture

When the city’s streetlights were first installed in 1845, they were powered by coal gas. Over the years, as the lighting source technology changed, the city has kept up with those changes in its streetlighting network. This LED conversion of the 7,500 fixtures is occurring through 2022. The majority of these replacements will take place along the roadways in the city’s Southside. 

The existing fixtures use standard High Pressure Sodium Vapor (HPSV) lamps with a warmer color temperature (yellow light). The new LED fixtures will have a cooler color temperature (moonlight color), which will enhance visibility and provide better color rendering. The LED fixtures will also provide better efficiency, reliability and maintainability. 

Old technology (l); new technology (r)

The projected useful life of LED lighting is 20 years per fixture, compared to an average of five years for the current lighting technology used in the city. Although the initial cost per fixture of the current lighting technology is $240 compared to $440 for the LED fixtures, the increase in useful life per fixture of the LED technology will result in a 54 percent cost savings for the city. The cost savings will be realized by a reduced replacement rate for the LED fixtures, an estimated 40 percent reduction in energy costs as well as reduced maintenance costs.

The city underwent a multi-faceted pilot project in 2018 testing and evaluating the technology on existing infrastructure to determine its feasibility and needed upgrades. The pilot focused on six areas and included the installation of three different style fixtures to assess the new lighting technology. Those six areas were Richmond Highway, Brook Road, Forest Hill Avenue, New Kent Avenue, Boston Avenue Alley and Wentbridge Road Alley. The pilot project resulted in a design reference with specifications on acceptable lighting source parameters and range of lumens output acceptable for both roadways and alleys as well as proper electrical characteristics for the distribution grid.

What You Need to Know About the Natural Gas Pipelines Buried in Your Yard

As a safety measure, the Federal Office of Pipeline Safety (Federal Regulation 49 CFR 192.16) requires Richmond Gas Works, as a natural gas operator, to notify its customers of the need to maintain their underground or buried natural gas piping.

Any and all gas piping downstream (on the structure/house side) of the gas meter belongs to the customer, who is responsible for the maintenance and operation of this portion of the natural gas line.

Richmond Gas Works does not own this portion of the natural gas line; therefore, we do not routinely maintain or locate these private gas lines. Licensed commercial plumbers and heating contractors may be contacted for assistance in locating, inspecting, repairing, and maintaining these private gas lines.

Underground gas piping should be: 

• Periodically inspected for leaks  
• Periodically inspected for corrosion if the piping is metallic
• Repaired if any unsafe condition is discovered, or the flow of gas should be shut off 

Also, remember that these privately-owned gas lines should be marked by your contractor or plumber before any digging or excavation is done in the area. Call 811. If the work will be close to the underground gas line, we suggest that the digging is done carefully and by hand.

Where Are Natural Gas Pipelines Located?

Natural gas is drawn from deep inside the earth and fed into pipelines that eventually feed into large transmission pipelines that crisscross the nation.

Once the gas arrives in Virginia, Richmond Gas Works distributes it through underground pipelines safely and reliably to its customers. Since these pipelines are underground, line markers are sometimes used when possible to approximate their location along a route.

These markers display the material transported (yellow means natural gas), the name of the pipeline owner, and telephone number of the owner in the event of an emergency or damaged pipeline. These markers only indicate the general location of the pipeline and cannot be relied upon to indicate the exact location of the pipeline.

Because many of these distribution lines are not marked, it is critical that people call 811 prior to ANY excavation. When excavation work is planned, the gas pipelines are identified with yellow paint markings or flags.