Posted: 6/23/05
Pease next up for gas line
replacements Milaca, Foreston to follow
CenterPoint Energy has begun work in Princeton to replace faulty couplings on gas lines and Pease is next on the list for repairs. The necessary replacements are due to the discovery of faulty couplings following an explosion in Ramsey in December, 2004 that killed three people. Work in Pease will begin in July and there are potentially 40 service lines that may need to be replaced. There are 90 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Pease with over 24,000 feet of natural gas main lines. CenterPoint Energy will be replacing up to 32,000 service lines in 37 communities throughout 2005. Not all customers will be affected by the replacement project. The company has learned that between 1959 and 1983 the original installation conducted by North Central Public Service Company included the improper use of metal couplings on plastic gas lines on some of the residential and commercial lines. In Ramsey, gas leaked out of the fitting and seeped underground, causing the bank explosion. Crews may not be CenterPoint Energy crews, but rather authorized contractors. However, customers will receive information 48 hours prior to the replacement work. An orange door hanger will be placed at the home notifying the residents that crews will be replacing the lines. The existing gas lines will be shut off and abandoned. New polyethylene (plastic) pipe using heat-fused connections will be placed parallel with the existing line. Each replacement is expected to take approximately two hours. Work involves replacing a service line from the home to the main line. Customers will not need to be home when work is being conducted, however residents will need to be home to have appliances relit. Once the replacement is complete, the customer will receive a blue door hanger with a telephone number to call for relighting appliances and property restoration. There is no charge to have appliances relit. In a press release, CenterPoint states it will replace its service lines in the least disruptive way using a minimally invasive technique and will work to restore customer properties to their original conditions. No costs are being revealed at this time, but itís likely the company will recoup its expenses through utility rate increases. Next on the list Milaca and Foreston have service lines that will need to be replaced, however those replacements wonít take place until fall. Milaca has 50 service lines that may need to be replaced and potentially more. Construction crews are expected to be replacing those lines beginning in October. Over 1,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers are serviced by CenterPoint Energy with over 97,000 feet of natural gas main lines. Foreston, which has 157 customers, has five service lines that may need to be replaced in November. Milaca Township and Princeton Township were originally on the list, but CenterPoint determined the lines in those townships were not done during the time period in which the faulty couplings were installed. The schedule in which the replacement work is being done is based on starting with the areas that have the oldest equipment as well as grouping areas by geographic proximity. Worried about the wait? CenterPoint Energy says that serious incidents involving natural gas are rare. The company monitors and conducts leak surveys in the system to ensure safety. Remember, if you smell gas leave your home or business immediately. Do not use electrical switches, the telephone or anything that can cause a spark. Call CenterPoint Energy at 1-800-722-9326 to report a potential gas leak. If you plan to do any digging in your yard, contact Gopher State One Call at 1-800-252-1166. To find out more about the gas line replacement project, call 1-800-245-2377 or go online: www.CenterPointEnergy.com/SrvcReplace. Progress reports are updated weekly. Mille Lacs County Times
Mille Lacs County Times
225 2nd Street NW, P.O. Box 9
Milaca, MN 56353
Telephone: 320-983-6111 Fax: 320-983-6112