PG&E To Begin Pipeline Testing

PG&E will begin testing two lengths of natural gas pipelines next week.

The testing is scheduled to begin as early as Monday or Tuesday of next week, according to Palo Alto Acting Communications Manager Debra Katz.

The two sections of pipe, called T-29 and T-30, will be tested separately after a period of staging and excavation.

The hydrostatic testing will include venting gas, which will cause noise and emit some gas smell, and then filing pipes with water before pressurizing the pipes and checking for leaks.

Section T-29 starts at Alma and zizags south to Middlefield. The digging will occur at 2573 Alma, 3672 Middlefield and 3860 Middlefield.

Section T-30 starts at Alma and Page Mill Road and extends up Page Mill to Foothill Expressway. The staging area for the entire project is a lot off of Park Ave owned by Caltrain. This area will house large trucks, water tanks and other materials. The dig sites for this section are at 650 Page Mill Road, 925 Page Mill Road, the corner of Hanover & Page Mill Road, and 500 feet north of the intersection of Page Mill and Foothill.

More details on the project are available on the city utility’s website.