ENBRIDGE GAS OHIO

Incident Narrative

"SHORTLY AFTER 12:00 EST ON JANUARY 29, 2025, ENBRIDGE GAS OHIO (EGO) BEGAN RECEIVING ""NO GAS"" CALLS FROM CUSTOMERS ON 1ST DR SW IN NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO. BY APPROXIMATELY 12:30 EST, EGO EMPLOYEES ARRIVED ON SITE TO INVESTIGATE AND DISCOVERED A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR AT 230 1ST DR SW INSTALLING FIBER OPTIC CONDUIT USING HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING. THE CONTRACTOR'S DRILL PATH HAD CROSSED 811 PAINT MARKINGS INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF UTILITIES BUT HAD NOT DAYLIGHTED THEM. DUE TO A LOSS OF GAS PRESSURE DOWNSTREAM OF THEIR WORK, EGO ORDERED THE CONTRACTOR TO STOP IMMEDIATELY, AND THEY COMPLIED. EGO CREWS EXPOSED THE AREA WHERE THE DRILL PATH CROSSED ACCURATELY MARKED EGO FACILITIES AND FOUND THAT THE 2"" PILOT BORE HAD CROSS-BORED THE 4"" MDPL LOW-PRESSURE MAINLINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE DRILLING EQUIPMENT HAD DAMAGED A NEARBY 2"" WATER LINE, CAUSING WATER TO INUNDATE THE EGO FACILITY AND FLOW INTO THE GAS SYSTEM AT A HIGH RATE. GIVEN THE NATURAL GAS SYSTEM WAS OPERATING AT LESS THAN 1 PSIG, THE WATER ENTERING THE PIPELINE CREATED AN EFFECTIVE SEAL, RESULTING IN MINIMAL NATURAL GAS LOSS. EGO PROMPTLY MADE REPAIRS AND BEGAN ASSESSING THE EXTENT OF WATER IN THE GAS SYSTEM. ULTIMATELY, 165 CUSTOMERS WERE SHUT OFF DUE TO NO GAS OR LOW PRESSURE ACROSS SEVERAL INTERSECTING STREETS. AS THE NUMBER OF AFFECTED CUSTOMERS EXCEEDED 100, EGO COMMUNICATED THE OUTAGE AND ITS IMPACTS TO THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF OHIO. EGO CREWS, ALONG WITH MOBILIZED APPROVED CONTRACTORS, INITIATED A 24/7 OPERATION TO DEWATER MAINLINES AND SERVICES IN THE AFFECTED AREA. EGO ALSO OFFERED HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS AND WARMING CENTERS TO AFFECTED CUSTOMERS AS OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW FREEZING. BY APPROXIMATELY 16:00 EST ON JANUARY 31, 2025, ENOUGH WATER HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM THE SYSTEM TO RESTORE ADEQUATE PRESSURE FOR ALL AFFECTED CUSTOMERS. BY 12:00 EST ON FEBRUARY 1, 2025, 150 CUSTOMERS HAD BEEN RESTORED TO SERVICE. THE REMAINING 15 CUSTOMERS COULD NOT BE RESTORED DUE TO NO ACCESS, BUT EGO CONTINUED OUTREACH UNTIL ALL WERE RESTORED THE FOLLOWING WEEK. ON FEBRUARY 6, 2025, A CONSOLIDATED REVIEW OF TIMESHEETS AND INVOICES FROM THE OUTAGE SHOWED THAT THE EGO RESPONSE, INCLUDING DAMAGE REPAIRS, DEWATERING, AND RESTORATION OF SERVICE, WOULD EXCEED THE $149,400 OUTLINED IN