WASHINGTON — Around 400 Prince George’s County, Maryland, residents have gone four days without hot water or central home heating after a water main break caused a gas outage Thursday night and there’s no end in sight yet.
A multi-block radius in Laurel, Maryland, has been affected by the water main break and the gas outage, with a total of 424 customers without gas.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) held an open house at the Laurel Municipal Center on Sunday at 3 p.m. where spokesperson Aaron Koos provided an update to anyone interested or affected by the outage.
Some parts of the affected area have more damage than others, so Koos said it would take longer for some residents to get the service restored. The company started with 424 customers without gas and has since gotten the number down to below 400.
Because of the high volume of customers and varying amounts of damage, there is no estimate to when full restoration to the affected area will occur.
“By [sectioning the area off], we can bring customers back up to speed when that section is completely clean and the gas can be pumped in. If we didn’t do that, we’d have to wait for everybody,” Koos said.
After the gas main is cleaned, BGE workers must go door-to-door to restore gas up to the meter and to ensure that water hasn’t gotten into each resident’s lines and appliances.
The company currently has 230 workers working in shifts around the clock to finish the job.
BGE worked closely with the Washington Surburban Saniary Commission (WSSC) to locate the water main break and stop the leak on Thursday night into Friday morning. The water main leak damaged the underground gas main.
Crews then went door-to-door in the affected area to turn off gas meters in order to drain, clean and repair the gas system, which BGE said is a necessary step before the service can be fully restored. Part of the main has had to be replaced due to the damage via water, mud and debris.
