PHILADELPHIA GAS WORKS

Incident Narrative

"ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27TH 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15AM PGW'S 2ND PARTY CONTRACTOR (DANELLA) WAS EXCAVATING WITH EQUIPMENT ON THE 1700 BLOCK OF W. OLNEY AVE. (PHILADELPHIA, PA 19141) AND PULLED A 6 INCH CAST IRON GAS MAIN STUB PIECE THAT WAS CONNECTED TO A 20 INCH CAST IRON GAS MAIN. THE 20 INCH CAST IRON MAIN FAILED AT THE CONNECTION TO THE 6"" CAST IRON MAIN RESULTING IN A 30 INCH BY 12 INCH HOLE IN THE 20 INCH CAST IRON MAIN AND CAUSING A NATURAL GAS LEAK. PGW EMERGENCY PERSONNEL RESPONDED TO THE INCIDENT AND SHUT TWO MAIN VALVES TO STOP THE GAS LEAK BY 9:47AM ON 2/27/2025. THE SECTION OF 20"" CAST IRON MAIN DAMAGED WAS THEN PERMANENTLY ABANDONED BY 4:40AM ON 2/28/2025. THE LOCATION OF THE 1911 6"" CAST IRON STUB PIECE DAMAGED WAS NOT ACCURATELY SHOWN ON PGW MAPS. THESE HISTORIC AS BUILT RECORDS WERE OFF BY APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET. THE LINE HIT WAS NOT WITHIN THE TOLERANCE ZONE OF WHERE A PGW STRUCTURE WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED. NOTE: THE ESTIMATED EVACUEES REPORTED IN PART A #22 IS NOT BASED ON ACTUAL EVACUEES BUT AN ESTIMATE MAINLY BASED ON BUILDING OCCUPANCY. PGW DID NOT EVACUATE ANY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC BECAUSE THE GAS RUPTURE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND VENTILATING TO THE ATMOSPHERE. THE LOCAL BUILDINGS SELF EVACUATED OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION."