LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Utility line hits are piling up this summer in Indiana and Kentucky, and questions are mounting about who residents should contact when repeated violations occur.
Both Indiana and Kentucky state law imposes monetary penalties for cutting utility lines—$1,500 for the first offense, $2,500 for the second, and $4,000 for a third or repeat offense—a threat officials say encourages contractors to work carefully. But when problems keep happening, the process for reporting them isn’t always clear.
Floyd County suspends Lumos permit
On June 5, Floyd County Commissioners suspended a work permit for Lumos after the company was accused of hitting several utility lines. The county issued a list of expectations the company had to meet before work could continue.
By June 18, Commissioner Al Knable expressed frustration over the pace and safety of work.
“Whether speed was what you wanted or not, we had a lot of unsafe conditions," Knable said. "I hadn't had as many complaints cumulatively in all my time in public office as I did in that one week."
Incidents continued throughout the summer. On June 27, a water main was hit in Floyd County. By July 2, a gas line was struck in Fairdale. Almost every week, residents reported water or gas lines being damaged.
Who handles complaints?
When WDRB News asked which state agency oversees these issues, the answers were not straightforward. A spokesperson for the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) said the local city or county office that issued the work permit is responsible for addressing problems.
The IURC previously investigated the cable contractor in 2017 for hitting gas and water lines, issuing a letter to the Indiana Attorney General and recommending fines. The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Office encourages residents to submit complaints, but cannot act without them.
Residents speak out
Alan Freeman, a Floyd County resident, captured the moment a fiber optic contractor hit a water line.
“The water main break was just comical," Freeman said. "The guy was just sitting on top of the ditch witch while it was blowing right by him."
Though Freeman isn’t part of his neighborhood HOA, he has become the go-to person for complaints about Lumos. He notes that previous installations, like AT&T fiber, were trouble-free. His wife works from home and depends on consistent internet access.
“It is very stressful to just plan for whether my internet is going to go out at some point. If I don’t have internet, I can’t work. If I don’t work, I make no money,” Freeman said.
Freeman has reached out to his council member and a state legislator but has yet to receive a response.
The Kentucky Broadband Office directed him to contact Lumos directly. The Kentucky Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Office does have an online submission portal for complaints.
Residents seeking guidance on utility line incidents are encouraged to start with local authorities and escalate to state offices if problems persist.
Previous Coverage:
Lumos crews installing fiber optic cables in New Albany hit 4-inch gas line
Lumos crews strike utility lines again in New Albany, but officials say company is improving
Gas leak in Fairdale linked to fiber optic company hit in Indiana with stop-work orders
Water outage in New Albany caused by fiber optic contractor already under scrutiny
Fiber optic company faces backlash in Floyd County over damaged property, unsafe practices
Floyd County halts fiber optic work after resident complaints, multiple gas line strikes
Judge issues immediate stop-work order for fiber optic installation in Floyd County
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