SaskEnergy received a number of calls about the gas smell appearing on the south side of town on Souris Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets about 1.30 p.m on Friday, Feb. 15. The crew arrived on scene to repair what was found to be a minor gas leak.
By Saturday afternoon barricades were still in place taking up two traffic lanes. The "rotten egg" smell also persisted in the area. The SaskEnergy senior communication officer Casey MacLeod explained that despite the unpleasant smell, it was safe to pass by the construction site.
“The gas from the site is ventilating straight up to the air and is actually lighter than air, so it dissipates quickly and is safe, but the product we had to create the “rotten egg” smell in the gas lingers for longer,” MacLeod said.
As soon as they received calls, the SaskEnergy crew accessed the location. Using special equipment they tested the air for traces of natural gas to designate the leak location, which in this case was under a roadway. The location of the leak made repair work more challenging. Workers had to cut off pieces of the road and dig to access the leak. Then they were able to squeeze off the line to stop the flow of gas to do repairs.
The work is supposed to be completed by the end of Saturday.
“Our guys are in the final stages of the repair work to the area where the leak was. They expect for full repair to be complete around 6-6:30 p.m. and then by 7 p.m. we should have all barricades and everything cleared out of there and traffic should be back to normal,” Macleod said.
The crew is now working on cleaning the backup. Since it’s winter time, when they are done with the pipeline they will temporarily backfill the hole with gravel.
“Comes spring, we’ll work with the city of Estevan to get back in there and repave that section that we dag up,” MacLeod said.
It’s difficult to designate what caused the leak. Macleod assumed that harsh weather that Estevan has been witnessing lately could be the problem.
“It’s been so bitterly cold for such a long time last couple weeks. And with it being underneath the roadway with a lot of traffic, the weigh of vehicles, that tends to drive the frost down deeper into the soil. Sometimes that can cause microscopic leaks like what this one was,” said MacLeod.
If not fixed in a timely manner small leaks can cause some bigger issues, but fortunately, in this case, the work started just on time.
MacLeod reminded that gas leaks might be very dangerous and have to be reported as soon as possible.
“Any time of year, if anyone thinks that they smell natural gas, they should give us a call, so we can come to check it out. We’ve got 24/7 emergency service, and they can call 1-888-700-0427 and we’ll send someone out to check it out,” said MacLeod.
She also noted that natural gas naturally is odorless, and the “rotten egg” odor is added to the substance to make leaks noticeable.
While the repair works continue the Estevan Police Service asked drivers to try to avoid the area and use caution while passing by the construction site.
