NV ENERGY
gas_distribution Incident — SPARKS, NV
Incident Information
| Report Date | — |
| Operator | NV ENERGY |
| Commodity | — |
| Pipeline Type | gas_distribution |
Location
| City | SPARKS |
| State | NV |
| County | WASHOE |
| Coordinates | 39.64268, -119.73048 |
Cause
| Cause | INCORRECT OPERATION |
| Subcause | — |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | — |
| Lost Commodity | — |
| Public/Private Damage | — |
| Emergency Response | — |
| Environmental Remediation | — |
| Other Costs | — |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
DURING A SCHEDULED LEAK SURVEY CONDUCTED ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2011, A LEAK WAS DISCOVERED BY NV ENERGY PERSONNEL. THE AREA WAS MADE SAFE AND REPAIRS WERE MADE. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE LEAK WAS CAUSED BY A CRACKED SERVICE TEE CAP. SUBSEQUENT AERATION ACTIVITIES WERE PERFORMED TO REMOVE THE NATURAL GAS FROM THE SOIL. THE AERATION COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LEAK EXCEEDED THE INCIDENT REPORTING THRESHOLD OF $50,000 ON NOVEMBER 17, 2011. THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLATION PROCEDURES FOR THE CRACKED SERVICE TEE CAP STATE THAT THESE TYPES OF CAPS ARE DESIGNED TO BE HAND TIGHTENED ONLY. THE CRACKED CAP FROM THIS FAILURE HAS WRENCH MARKS. BASED ON THIS EVIDENCE, WE CONCLUDE THAT THE CAP FAILURE WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY OVER TIGHTENING OF THE CAP.
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.