Natural Gas Main Replacement

Construction Plans and Installation Tie-in and Abandonment Procedures to Support Gas Main Replacement Initiative (GMRI)

After a severe incident that another gas utility had experienced in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts, state regulators required all gas utilities to prepare construction plans and procedures under the direction of, and sealed by, a Professional Engineer. With that directive in mind, Eversource Energy selected Weston & Sampson to prepare construction plans and tie-in and abandonment procedures to support their Gas Main Replacement Initiative (GMRI) in Worcester.

We began by developing plans and procedures to replace about 22,000-linear feet of existing low- and intermediate-pressure, cast iron and bare steel gas mains, ranging in size from two to 12 inches, with new polyethylene plastic gas mains. We replaced existing low-pressure gas mains with intermediate-pressure gas mains where applicable. We developed the construction plans using GIS information as the base mapping along with existing gas system information from Eversource Energy in the project areas. We then prepared comprehensive tie-in and abandonment procedures with the construction plans, all in accordance with state and federal codes and standards, Eversource Energy’s own internal O&M plan, and industry best practices. Finally, one of our Massachusetts Registered Professional Engineers (PE) has and will continue to stamp all construction plans.

As Weston & Sampson proceeds forward through the next phases of work, our focus will be on assuring both Eversource Energy and state gas regulatory agencies that the natural gas system in Worcester will be designed and constructed in a competent and safe manner.

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Posted in Industry-Energy, Natural Gas, natural gas pipeline distribution and tagged , , , .