Columbia Gas to Invest $33 Million in Southeast Ohio

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Columbia Gas is preparing to invest $33 million
in Southeast Ohio as 36 miles of natural gas main lines and 2,500
customer service lines will be replaced this year. The project is
part of the company’s larger 25 year program which will invest over
$2 billion across the entire state. Dave Rau, Columbia Gas
Communications Manager, says the initiative will improve service in
the area.

“Keeping our
service safe and reliable is the most important thing for us. We’ve
been replacing lines across the state in a large program for over 10
years—and that’s cut the number of leaks by over 40 percent. That
really translates into safety. So, this year in Southern and Eastern
Ohio we’ll be replacing 36 miles of our lines; continuing to make
service safer and more reliable.”

Areas in which lines
will be replaced include Newark, West Lafayette, and New Lexington.
The goal of the project is to increase safety and reliability for
Columbia Gas customers.

“We take a look at
a lot of indicators to determine what pipes are most in need of
replacement. We want to make sure that as we apply these funds—as
we fund these projects—we’re looking for the areas where it can
do the most good. So, we take a look at all of the data; we take a
look at potential leaks—we take a look at reliability and we come
up with the areas where it’s going to make the biggest difference.”

Changes anticipated
as a result of the 2020 work include excess flow valves, exterior
meters, and specially designed plastic pipe.