Aging gas lines could pose significant public safety risk, if left unchecked

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh is not a young city and neither is the infrastructure. Some of our gas lines are 60, 70, 80 years or older. Often, we don’t know what’s under our homes, roads and schools and the potential risk that could be building up over time.

In Allentown in 2011, five people including a newborn were killed and 600 others were evacuated after an 83-year-old cast-iron gas line failed. That same year, in Philadelphia, a 71-year-old main exploded, killing a gas worker and injuring six others. Neighbors say they complained about the smell of gas for a year and a half before the deadly blast.

Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, known as ‘Dr. Zee,’ is the founder of Pittsburgh-based company, Matergenics. He studies the failures in materials that lead to catastrophic events, including gas explosions. While pipelines are no longer made out of cast-iron, we still have them underground.

“It can fracture and cause problems,” Dr. Zee said. “You can see there is extensive loss in thickness,” Dr. Zee said, showing us an example of a line that failed. “That’s what happened in Allentown.”

On Penn Avenue, Peoples Gas is replacing cast-iron pipelines that were installed in 1886. It comes at an astronomical price. It’s roughly $two million to replace just one mile of pipeline.

Columbia Gas says they spent several billion dollars to eliminate all cast-iron, wrought iron and bare steel from their lines as of 2022.

Dr. Zee says public utilities do condition assessments of underground gas lines to test their integrity and lifespan. Underground currents, pipeline coatings and soil can lead to corrosion, leaks, and/or cracks which could be catastrophic.

“We are dealing with much bigger pipelines, much higher pressure,” Dr. Zee added. “That can cause serious problems.”

Dr. Zee says we should be using technology to sound the alarm before a catastrophe.

“If our homes and our refrigerators have sensors, gas lines should have sensors,” Dr. Zee said. “My opinion is governments should support gas companies financially to invest.”

That’s just the public utility side. Most people don’t know what their personal responsibilities are. If there are any leaks or cracks on the customer’s side, you are financially responsible for repairs.

Dr. Zee says there are warning signs to look for in your home including:

A hissing sound
Dead grass
Insects gathering in one place
If your gas bill suddenly increases
The smell of gas

Peoples Gas says there are steps you can take to keep your family safe.

Have your furnace inspected at least once a year.
Recognize the signs of a natural gas leak
Consider a methane detection device, which functions similarly to a smoke or carbon monoxide detector

Every family should know where the gas shut-off valve is. In most cases, if that valve is parallel to the line, gas is flowing and if you turn the valve to the side, perpendicularly, the gas is off. If you smell gas, get everyone out of your home and call 911.

Peoples Gas sent 11 Investigates the following statement about the work they’re doing to phase out aging gas lines:

“Peoples is committed to providing safe, reliable natural gas to millions of Western Pennsylvanians every day. We operate and maintain more than 15,000 miles of pipelines across 18 counties, and are actively modernizing our system by replacing aging infrastructure with state-of-the-art pipelines. These upgrades enhance safety, improve reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We have an aggressive infrastructure modernization program, replacing or retiring more than 300 miles of pipelines in 2024 alone. This work is part of our long-term improvement plan that is on pace to replace more than 3,000 miles of pipeline by 2034. Our goal is to safely and efficiently upgrade our system while minimizing customer disruptions.

Peoples crews work every day to ensure the safe delivery of natural gas, and we encourage our customers to stay proactive. Have your furnace inspected at least once a year and take advantage of the safety education materials we offer to learn how to recognize signs of a natural gas leak. While the odorant we add to our pipelines is a key warning sign of a possible leak, methane detection devices can offer an added layer of protection, functioning similar to a smoke or carbon monoxide detector.

If you suspect a gas leak, please leave the area immediately and then call 911 and Peoples’ 24-hour hotline at 1-800-400-4271. We will promptly dispatch a technician to investigate.”

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