TUTTLE — City staff reported to the Tuttle City Council that a contractor struck the city's mainline fiber on Highway 37 last Friday, cutting service for a portion of utility customers. Staff said crews responded quickly, temporary work returned most customers to service by about 6 p.m., and remaining fiber splices were completed by roughly 10 p.m.

City Manager Mister Slattery said the unit that damaged the fiber may have mistaken a copper line for the fiber and continued digging after the marked locate area, and the city will invoice the contractor for repair costs. Staff said they documented the incident with photographs and other evidence.

Who was affected and timeline

- Geographic impact: staff said service was lost for customers east of Mustang Road — an area that excludes Hollowbrook — and estimated roughly 4,480 customers were affected, or about 20–25% of the city’s customers in that service area.
- Restoration: crews staged the repair site and prepared splice pits in advance; most customers had service restored by about 6:00 p.m. and the remaining splices finished around 10:00 p.m.
- Liability and next steps: staff said liability generally follows the party that requested the utility locate (811). If the entity listed on the locate ticket lacks coverage, the city may pursue collection from the developer or other liable entity. Staff reported having documentation and photos to support invoicing the contractor.

Related infrastructure notes

- Separately, staff reported progress on lift‑station rehabilitation: the lagoon lift station rehab was complete and work had moved to Lift Station Number 1.
- Council asked questions about how the city determines the legally liable party; city attorney David explained that the party that ordered the locate is typically the starting point for claims and insurance recoveries.

Next steps: Staff will issue an invoice to the at‑fault contractor and monitor collections; they will also continue to document subsurface infrastructure and require 811 locates and marking before any future excavation.