At the end of August, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania will begin work on a four-month long project to replace pipes in the eastern part of Bradford City.
The utility is investing nearly $1 million to replace 2,400 feet of bare steel and cast iron pipeline with plastic pipe delivering natural gas to 72 customers on East Main Street, five customers on Russell Boulevard and one customer on St. Francis Drive, according to Columbia Gas spokesperson Sarah Perry.
“As part of our commitment to provide safe and reliable natural gas service to our customers, (we) will be making a significant investment to replace natural gas pipelines (in that area),” Perry said on Wednesday afternoon. “We will be replacing the main line in the area as well as the customer-owned service lines. There is no additional cost to our customers for this work.
“All of these customers will be notified in person at least three days before any work begins. We always work with our customers to arrange and schedule any work that needs to be done on their property,” she noted.
Perry said Columbia Gas will continue to replace the pipe throughout the end of the year and any ongoing work will continue into 2016.
“Some restoration work may be weather dependent, but all of the area will be restored to municipal standards,” Perry said. “The work is expected to be completed at the end of this year, spanning a time frame of four to five months.”
Perry noted the project will involve the use of contractors, adding the utility asks customers to always ask for identification from anyone coming to their door saying they are with Columbia Gas.
“Our contractors and workers always have identification as a safety measure,” Perry said.
She said the pipeline replacement will enable the company to further ensure the continuance of safe and reliable service. “The plastic pipe is a little more durable in the ground,” Perry said.
For more information, customers may visit the website www.columbiagaspa.com and watch a four-minute video that explains why pipeline replacement is important, how it benefits the community that Columbia serves and what customers should expect throughout the process.
Across the state, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is replacing much of its aging infrastructure, according to Perry.
“From 2007 — when the company started our aggressive infrastructure replacement plan — to 2014, nearly $900 million was invested in the modernization and expansion of our distribution system,” Perry said. “In 2015, we will invest approximately $186 million in Pennsylvania, and more than $144 million of that is being invested to upgrade aging, underground pipeline infrastructure.”
