Thousands of natural gas customers in Derby and Ansonia have been without service due to a low pressure issue, according to Eversource and officials from the company said they are on track to restore service by the end of the day on Wednesday.
An Eversource spokesperson said they saw pressure drop during routine maintenance, so they shut the system down out of an abundance of caution. Officials stressed that everything is safe and there was never any danger of explosion.
Eversource said Wednesday that a valve was broken and they have repaired it.
The issue was affecting approximately 2,500 customers in Derby and Ansonia.
According to Ansonia Mayor Dave Cassetti, Eversource was going door to door to turn off gas meters. The company asked residents to have someone home to let them in until about 10 p.m., when they expected to have the process completed.
As of Wednesday morning, Eversource said crews had made significant progress and the next step will be to turn service on.
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Technicians started going door to door at 8 a.m. to relight gas appliances and conduct a safety check. The company said employees have been screened for COVID-19 and will be wearing masks and gloves.
If a customer is not home, Eversource will leave something at the house with contact them and return to restore service when a resident is available.
Eversource said there are some challenges while relighting some appliances and the company will take responsibility for the repairs and address any issues with appliances.
The issue is affecting heat and hot water systems at three schools in Ansonia, school officials said. Because of this, all Ansonia Public Schools are closed on Wednesday.
There is no evacuation order at this time, an Eversource spokesperson said. Those who cannot stay home with the gas off due to the cold can contact their call center at 800-989-0900. They will reimburse customers who book a hotel with a credit on their bill.
Eversource plans to use social media to provide information on four "zones" they are working on and timeline expectations.
