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Unwired Broadband outlines fixes after utility strikes in Parlier; camera inspections, more locates planned
Summary
Unwired Broadband told the Parlier City Council it will deploy camera-based pipe inspections and an outside locating firm after several utility strikes during its fiber-to-the-home project. City staff and residents reported water-main ruptures and service interruptions while work continues in newer areas of town.
Unwired Broadband’s vice president of operations, John Majors, briefed the Parlier City Council Thursday about utility strikes that occurred during the company’s citywide fiber‑to‑the‑home build and the steps the company has taken to reduce future strikes.
Majors said Unwired had identified that ground‑penetrating radar (GPR) alone was inadequate for locating utilities in older parts of Parlier and had proposed using a contractor with camera systems to inspect mains and laterals. “The GPR … was inadequate,” Majors told the council, and the company dispatched Accurate Line Locating, which uses camera systems run through pipes to map mains and laterals feeding parcels.
What happened and why: City staff and residents described two notable incidents where water mains or laterals were struck during drilling; those incidents produced neighborhood water outages and multi‑household impacts. City engineering staff explained that much of Parlier’s older infrastructure was hand‑documented or poorly mapped, making locates difficult.
Steps taken and timeline: - Locating method change: Unwired and city staff agreed to supplement GPR with camera inspection of mains and laterals and to use an outside locating firm for problem areas. - Work pause and inspection approach: Certain drilling and trenching work was suspended while the issues were investigated; Unwired said it will not proceed at a parcel until utilities are positively located. - Remaining construction and restoration timeline: Majors said roughly three weeks of underground construction remained in newer northern areas and that completion of handholds, fiber installation, testing and full restoration would follow; he estimated about 60 days to complete restoration from resumption of work in the areas still requiring construction.
Resident impacts and claims: Several residents reported prolonged water outages and backups after strikes. Council members and staff said they would coordinate claims and repairs; Unwired said it had processed some reimbursements and would continue to work with the city to resolve remaining individual claims.
Council direction: Council members asked Unwired and city staff to meet with the incoming city manager and city engineer to coordinate a plan for the downtown/older areas where mapping is incomplete and to ensure better community notification and faster repairs.
Ending: Majors said Unwired has provided the company’s internal investigation and USA Dig (utility notification) system records to city staff and that the camera runs will generate records that may also help the city in future utility projects.
