A plumber was hooking up a property at 21 W. Ferry St. to the new public water system and struck a half-inch plastic service line.
By: Linda Seida
NEW HOPE PECO is investigating why the natural gas line that was struck last week by a plumber’s backhoe was not marked, according to a company spokesman.
The plumber, a private contractor, was hooking up a property at 21 W. Ferry St. to the borough’s new public water system July 19 when the backhoe struck a half-inch plastic service line, spokesman Ben Armstrong said.
There were no reported injuries. The accident caused a natural gas leak that led to the evacuation of about a half dozen people and closed West Ferry, South Main and Stockton streets for about two hours, Police Chief Rick Pasqualini said.
According to the property owner, Sally Goodman, her plumber checked with authorities three days before digging as required by Pennsylvania law, and he was told it would be safe to dig there.
Two years ago, a contractor working on the public water installation struck a gas line on the same street. That strike led to an explosion and a fire that destroyed a historic stone house and left five people homeless.
Last week, there was a "major leak coming out under a great deal of force," Chief Pasqualini said. "You could hear the gas from 100 feet away. The stench was overwhelming."
Because natural gas is colorless and odorless, suppliers mix it with an additive that smells like rotten eggs to aid in detection.
When the contractor struck the line, he was "shaken up," Chief Pasqualini said.
Ms. Goodman said she was shaken as well as frustrated. She recalled the explosion in 2005 at 52 W. Ferry St.
"I’ve gone through that, dealing with fear after that explosion," she said. "Sooner or later, you just have to rely on faith."
Ms. Goodman’s stone house dates to 1786 with an addition constructed in 1803. It houses her residence as well as a few tenants and her antique shop.
Last week, she said she could imagine a worst-case scenario as she waited for help to arrive.
"I could see the stone flying all over the place," she said.
The New Hope-Eagle Fire Company and borough police responded within minutes, Ms. Goodman said.
The Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, which oversaw the town’s public water installation, has not had any similar accidents with either a gas main or a service line since July 2006, according to a spokesman.
That’s not to say the line markings have made the job smooth sailing. On the contrary, lines have been "either unmarked or mismarked," according to spokesman Patrick Cleary.
Also, he said, there is "a whole system abandoned underground," but it is considered "not live" because it no longer transports natural gas.
Still, workers at times have accidentally hit lines in the abandoned underground system with hair-raising results.
"When you hit one, you don’t immediately know that it’s not live," Mr. Cleary said.
Mr. Armstrong said PECO received the emergency call at 9:33 a.m. and dispatched a crew within three minutes. The crew was on site by 10:13 a.m. and cut service by 10:25 a.m. Repairs were completed by 11:28 a.m.
Ms. Goodman said when she called PECO, she tried to tell the employee who answered it was an emergency, but he kept asking her for her account number, which she did not have handy.
"All I needed was somebody to come by and throw a cigarette out the window or a big truck coming by and causing a spark," she said. "We could have blown up in the meantime."
Mr. Armstrong, the PECO spokesman, suggested her call might have been placed to the utility’s general service line instead of the emergency phone line, (800) 841-4141.
"We consider all gas leaks an absolute priority," Mr. Armstrong said. "We respond immediately."
Chief Pasqualini advised calling 911 in an emergency.
"The radio room will then dispatch the appropriate people," he said.
Also on the scene was New Hope Fire Marshal Fred Williamson.

