Jan 14, 2008 By Christine Haines 4 min read

RICHEYVILLE – Work is set to begin on a project that will replace 14,000 feet of natural gas distribution and service lines in the village of Richeyville over the next six to eight months. More than 40 Richeyville residents and elected officials from Centerville Borough attended an informational session about the upgrade and replacement project this week. Jim Cannon of Columbia Gas said the company would like to hold the informational sessions at least every other month while the project is progressing.

“We’re asking you to bear with us. It’s not an easy process. I’ve been through this at my own house with water lines. It’s horrible, it’s disruptive and it’s ugly,” Cannon said. “Restoration is a key part of the project. We’re not going to just replace it, we’re going to make it better.”

Cannon said Columbia Gas is updating and replacing all of its lines in Pennsylvania over the next 20 years, with Richeyville one of the first communities to get the new lines. Cannon said the current metal pipes will be replaced with polyethylene plastic pipes. Some of the steel pipes have been in place for as long as 100 years.

“We’re trying to be proactive. In the long run, it’s going to be more cost-effective to put all new in instead of trying to patch what’s there,” Cannon said. “If we do this in 20-year increments, it will be very easy to maintain.”

Cannon said the project includes replacing all of the main delivery lines, as well as the customer service lines and moving all customer meters to the outside of the homes.

Although under Pennsylvania law service lines are the responsibility of the property owner, Cannon said that Columbia Gas will cover the cost of the new service lines at this time to make sure the lines are compatible with the new delivery system.

The property owners will be responsible for line maintenance.

Cannon said the contractor will be using a “gopher” system to install the service lines whenever possible, to minimize the amount of excavation needed for the project.

“We’ll either insert new lines inside the old one or use a gopher. Ideally, you will have a hole at your property line and a hole at the house,” said Dave Brown, the Columbia Gas inspector for the job.

Homeowners will experience a short period without gas service while their new meter is installed.

“We’re going to try to keep the disruption as brief as possible. We know it’s going to be cold when we’re doing this. We’ll let you know in advance and tell you to heat your home up for a little while,” Brown said.

Cannon said all employees of Columbia Gas and the contractor, C.J. Hughes, will have photo identification.

“If they show up without ID, don’t let them in. Call us,” Cannon said.

Brown said no one working on the project will give a property owner any problems if they are turned away from the house because of security concerns.

Nobody’s property has to be done on a specific day and the contractor and Columbia Gas will work with customers to do the project in the most convenient way possible.

“The last thing we want is to be confrontational,” Cannon said. “Communication is going to be the key.”

Brown said bypasses will be installed while new meters are put into place at businesses, such as the coin laundry, which depend on the gas service for their income, so there will be no disruption of service.

A construction trailer is being set up at the Richeyville playground and staff will be accessible to the residents throughout the project, Cannon said.

The gas line will cross Route 40 and go along Richeyville Road, but traffic on the two state roads should see minimal delays, Cannon said.