THE SITE: Interstate 8 at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard |
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THE PROBLEM: Greg Gieselman knew right away that something was wrong with a large utility box at Interstate 8 and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard – someone had stolen the copper grounding cable.
Gieselman, a retired airline mechanic, knew someone could be electrocuted if the workings inside the box shorted out. The box, just a few feet from car and foot traffic, had no markings on it, so he spent more than two hours last month calling San Diego Gas & Electric Co., Caltrans and the city of San Diego's Street Division and Water Department. He contacted Just Fix It three weeks later when the problem had not been fixed.
STATUS: We called SDG&E, Caltrans and city streets and water officials, and all parties reacted quickly. SDG&E thought the box belonged to the city's Metropolitan Wastewater Department and put in a call. Wastewater employees replaced the wiring right away. An SDG&E spokeswoman said workers looked at SDG&E boxes in the area after Gieselman's initial complaint but did not find a problem.
Copper-wiring theft is a growing problem. Many utility boxes don't have contact numbers; if you suspect a problem, a good starting point is SDG&E at (800) 411-SDGE.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Chris Toth, deputy director of the wastewater collection division, who can be reached at (858) 654-4161 or ctoth@sandiego. gov.
NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem government hasn't fixed despite your complaints? Whether it's a missing bus bench or an unkempt park anywhere in San Diego County, Just Fix It might be able to help.
Complaint forms are at justfixit.uniontrib.com, or call (800) 820-8714.
