Little Rock, Arkansas (April 4, 2024) – On Monday, April 8th, parts of Summit Utilities (Summit) service areas will be in the solar eclipse's path of totality. The eclipse is expected to draw many visitors and cause road congestion in the State. In preparation for this event, Summit is making efforts to ensure it continues to provide safe and reliable natural gas service to customers.  

"At Summit, safety is our top priority for both customers and team members," said Nathan Knell, Summit's Vice President of Operations Support. "We ask anyone who has an issue with their natural gas service during the eclipse to contact us immediately. We have plans in place to respond to any potential emergency that may arise."  

On April 8th and 9th, Summit will station field team members in anticipated high-traffic areas. During that time, those team members will be equipped to respond to any potential emergency calls. To lessen vehicles on the roadways, Summit will only respond to emergency calls on those days and is not booking prearranged appointments on Monday and Tuesday.  

If there is a natural gas emergency, customers should call Summit's customer service at 800-992-7552 as soon as possible. If they cannot reach Summit's customer service, they should call 911 or contact emergency services immediately. The most common way to recognize a gas leak is by its distinctive rotten egg smell. Never try to repair a natural gas leak yourself. Leave all repairs to a trained Summit technician. 

The public should take extreme caution when driving stakes for tents or canopies into the ground because they could strike buried utility lines. Please contact 811 by phone or online at least two business days before camping or hosting festivals at your home or business. After contacting 811, locators will mark the approximate location of buried lines with color-coded spray paint, flags, or stakes corresponding to the utility. Visit Call811.com for more information.  

For more information about natural gas safety, visit https://www.summitutilities.com/safety/natural-gas-safety.