Residents Learn About Future Pipeline Tests

Newark residents may soon see PG&E trucks and personnel busily working on a main street in town.

About one mile of a natural gas pipeline will undergo pressure tests, according to PG&E spokesman Brian Swanson. The dates of the project are yet to be determined.

The pipeline, which is 24 inches in diameter, runs from Cedar Boulevard at Lafayette Avenue through Blackburn Drive to Cardiff Street and Jarvis Avenue. Part of the pipeline runs alongside .

PG&E held an open house Tuesday night for residents at which customers were able to meet one-on-one with representatives to ask questions and learn more about the project. Another open house was held Wednesday at the , 34905 Newark Blvd.

About eight PG&E representatives were on hand to address questions from Newark residents. The open forum format has proven to be an effective form of communication in various communities, Swanson said.

"It's important we communicate with residents in the communities we're working in throughout the project," Swanson added.

The project's purpose is to identify any weaknesses within the pipeline, whether they are leaks, dents or other defects, according to PG&E staff.

"If there are any weaknesses, we want them to fail during this test. We want to identify them and fix them," he said.

The project calls for the pipeline to undergo a hydrostatic pressure test that involves various steps. Here is a breakdown of what steps will be taken to test the pipe:

• Gas is removed from the pipe. At this time, residents will smell a gas odor in the neighborhood. Residents will get a phone call prior to this happening.
• Staging equipment is set up and the land at the pipeline's ends is excavated. Natural gas is released and residents may smell it during this time. Once the gas is removed, a test head is welded onto the portion of the pipe that is cut out for testing.
• The pipe is cleaned and checked for dents, cracks and other defects.
• Approximately 100,000 gallons of water are put into the pipe. No air will occupy in the pipe at this time.
• A small amount of additional water is then added into the pipeline to increase the pressure within it. It will be tested at a higher pressure level than it would normally see during operation.
• The pressure will be constantly monitored during the eight-hour-long test. Any decrease of pressure will signal a leak or defect, and crews will be on hand to respond to any leaks. If a leak were to occur, residents could see some flooding.
• If the pipeline meets standards, the water will be drained out of the pipe and it will be dried and welded back in place. If the section of pipe is susceptible, it will be cut out and replaced with new pipe.

The pipeline testing in Newark is part of the gas and electric company's efforts to test approximately 150 miles of pipelines in highly populated areas that have the same characteristics and age of , Swanson said.

The pipe to be tested in Newark was installed in 1949.

PG&E does not anticipate that service will be disrupted during the time of the tests since the gas may be re-routed to other pipes, he added.

Newark residents who attended Tuesday's meeting said the PG&E representatives were very informative.

"Every question I asked, they answered," said Barbara Ekstrom, who lives near the pipeline.

Neighbor Beth Cary added that she feels that PG&E's method is safe.

"It's like the airlines. They test them so frequently …I'm not afraid to fly because those things are well taken care of," Cary said.

Hydrostatic pressure testing has been used by natural gas transmission industries for more than 30 years and is a commonly accepted approach to testing pipelines, according to PG&E.

For more information on hydrostatic pressure tests, visit the PG&E website here.