Navajo Tribal Utility Authority®
Utility Safety Information
Call Before You Dig
Preparing for aElectric Outage
Preparing for a
Water Outage
NTUA has a vast network of electric, natural gas, water
and wastewater utility lines.
Some of these lines are underground and out of site. These lines are very dangerous if exposed or damaged. Because safety is our number one concern, we encourage everyone to exercise extreme caution when digging around any of our utility lines.
Please call the NTUA Safety Department at 928-729-5721
if you have any questions.
ELECTRIC OUTAGE
Planned power outages are sometimes necessary to allow the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) to organize and coordinate electric outages. We realize any power outage may cause some of our customers an inconvenience; however, we truly appreciate your patience and understanding during these times. We do routine upgrades to meet the safe reliable expectations of our customers. Sometimes these major repairs or maintenance to equipment are essential to regional power sources. To help during an outage, below are some tips and resources to help you prepare.
• The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. Keep the refrigerator door closed as much as possible.
• Explain to household members the importance of not opening and closing the refrigerator door during the outage.
• Refrigerators should be kept at 40° F or below for proper food storage
• Consider placing blocks or bags of ice in the freezer and refrigerator before the power goes out. If the freezer is fairly empty freeze some gallon jugs of water as this will help maintain the temperature. Be sure to only fill the jugs no more than ¾ full to allow for the water to expand when freezing.
• Freeze perishable food at least a day prior to the outage (meats, poultry, milk, etc.)
• Avoid purchasing a lot of perishable foods that you won’t use before the power outage
• Food in a fully stocked freezer should remain frozen for 48 hours. Food in a partially stocked freezer should remain frozen for 24 hours.
• Ask someone not affected by the power outage if they can store items for you in their refrigerator or freezer.
The US Food and Drug Administration reminds consumers that it is important to have a plan in place for emergency medication and medical supplies. This is especially true for those with health concerns, particularly if the power goes out.
• If you have medical support equipment that is dependent on electricity, be ready with your back-up plan and/or battery packs to maintain use of your equipment
• Shut off or disconnect all sensitive equipment, such as computers, fax machines, televisions, microwaves, etc. before the outage.
• Turn off any major appliances like washers or air conditioners prior to the outage. This will prevent them from unexpectedly coming on when the power is restored.
• Make sure all heat-producing appliances (stoves, microwave ovens, irons, hair curlers, etc.) are turned off. This will minimize any fire hazard if the power is restored while you’re away.
• Check the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer
• If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen
• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can't rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
• Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible.
• Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more.
WATER OUTAGE
There are times when the water system must be shut-down. Navajo Tribal Utility Authority water crews routinely schedule upgrades to the water system through its operation and maintenance plans. Sometimes the Navajo Engineering Construction Authority will complete a construction project and request to tie into our water system. They will require us to shut off the water in your area. This what’s known as a planned outage and NTUA will try to provide sufficient notice to water customers affected.
• Sealed containers of drinking water Store the containers in cool, dark place for use during the water outage. Having an ample supply of water will help you and family members better manage the outage.
• Household buckets for toilet flushing You can fill up your bathtub with water to use for toilet flushing. Pour a bucket or sauce pans of this water in your toilet tank after each flush. Only flush when absolutely necessary.
• Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer This is useful for hand washing.
• Run a cold water tap for at least 5 minutes to ensure the water runs clear before any other water-using device is operated.
• Do not run your hot water during this time because the impurities could be drawn into your hot water tank and may cause problems with its operation.
If a main water line break occurs in your area, NTUA water crews do work quickly to make the repairs and restore water service as soon as they can.
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority • P.O. Box 170, Fort Defiance, AZ 86504 • Phone: 1-800-528-5011 Copyright © 2025 NTUA - A proud Enterprise of the Navajo Nation