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PIPELINE PREPAREDNESS Prepare a family disaster plan and disaster supplies kit with an evacuation pack. Be sure to include: Extra water in case water supplies are interrupted or contaminated. Duct tape and plastic sheeting pre-cut for your windows (see our shelter in place web page). Plan several evacuation routes out of the area in advance on foot and by car. You need to go uphill, upwind, and upstream from the hazardous area. Many pipeline hazards such as gasoline or natural gas are heavier than air and will travel downhill into creeks and low areas. First responders such as the Police, Fire, and EMS have been trained to make the decision about when, how, where, and why to order an evacuation based on the incident. There are no specific evacuation routes for each type of hazard due to the extreme variability of Austin's hazards. But, if your neighborhood, school, or business would like assistance with creating their own evacuation plan, the Austin Fire Department's Public Education Office is available to help. Authorities may determine it is safer to shelter in place instead of an evacuation. This means staying in your home and making yourself as safe as possible until the emergency passes or you are told to evacuate. In this situation it is safer to remain indoors than to go outside where the air is unsafe. Visit our shelter in place web page for more information. To report a pipeline leak or emergency, call 9-1-1 when you are safely away from the scene. To report a water, wastewater, or sewage pipeline incident, call the City of Austin Water & Wastewater Utility 24-Hour Emergency Service Hotline at (512) 972-1000. Call before you dig: Call toll-free (800) DIG-TESS (344-8377) before you dig in your yard for projects like planting trees, putting in a fence, building a deck, and even if you are doing a small job, such as installing garden lighting. This is a free service that will assist you in choosing the safest, most economical location for excavation activities around your home. There are many buried utility services around every home, including water lines, natural gas lines, sewer lines, telephone cables, and underground electric lines. RELATED PUBLICATIONS Recognizing a Pipeline Leak by Williams Companies What to do in the unlikely event a pipeline leak should occur. Pipeline 101 by the American Petroleum Institute and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines Introductory information about pipelines.