Columbia Says Merrimack Valley Restoration Effort Is Mostly Done

LAWRENCE, MA -- Columbia Gas of Massachusetts said Wednesday it had restored gas service to 98 percent of the customers in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover that had been without service since the Sept. 13 gas explosions. Most of the 150 customers still without heat and hot water have chosen to hire their own contractors to complete the reconnection process. Wednesday's announcement comes four days before the Dec. 16 deadline, which Columbia Gas set in October when it announced it would miss a Nov. 19 deadline.

While the announcement marks the end of the restoration effort, there is still work to do. When it said it would push back the deadline, the utility also said it would repair damaged gas appliances and wait until after the winter to replace those furnaces, stoves and equipment. The company has not disclosed how many appliances need to be replaced or how long that effort will take.

The Sept. 13 gas explosions killed one and injured more than two dozen people. More than 130 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Immediately after the explosions, thousands were forced to evacuate Andover, North Andover and Lawrence. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board has said the disaster was preventable and has placed most of the blame on Columbia Gas, a unit of publicly-traded NiSource Inc.

Related Story: State Hearing Takes Broader View On Gas Line Safety In MA

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).