​​BGE Working to Restore Natural Gas Service to Customers in Laurel After Water Floods Mains in a Multi-Block Area​

BALTIMORE (Feb. 16, 2018) – BGE is actively working to restore service to several hundred customers in a multi-block radius in Laurel, Md., affected by a natural gas outage.  The outage was caused by a water leak infiltrating the gas distribution network beginning Thursday evening. 

BGE gas crews have been working closely with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) to identify the source of water and stop the leak. Once the water source is stopped, BGE crews will fully purge the gas lines of water and begin the process of restoring service. Repairs to damaged BGE equipment will be a part of the restoration process, and it will be necessary for crews to access meters and gas equipment multiple times at each customer location. Gas service cannot be restored if water has entered a customer's piping and appliances. In that scenario, customer-owned equipment such as piping and gas-fed appliances located after the gas meter must be inspected and repaired by the customer's licensed plumber before BGE can fully restore service.

It is critical that customers allow BGE to access their homes and businesses to turn off their gas services so the gas mains can be cleared of water. Once all gas meters are turned off and water is cleared from the lines, BGE can begin to reintroduce natural gas to the gas mains. Then, BGE crews will have to re-enter buildings to restore service to meters and relight customers' gas appliances.

Any customers in the area affected by the outage who have not had their service disconnected by BGE are asked to contact BGE at 1.800.685.0123.  If crews are unable to access a property to turn off the meter, service will be disconnected from the gas main or BGE will work with emergency officials and a locksmith to gain access so final restoration can proceed. At this time, there is no estimated time of restoration for all gas service. Crews are working around-the-clock. 

BGE is in the process of attempting to contact all impacted customers and will work to keep customers informed throughout the process.

The safety of our customers, employees and contractors remains the top priority. As always, customers who smell natural gas or detect escaping gas are asked to get to a safe location and contact BGE immediately at 1.800.685.0123.

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility and headquartered in Baltimore, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. The company's approximately 3,200 employees are committed to safe and reliable power delivery to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. J.D. Power's 2017 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study ^SM ranked BGE highest in customer satisfaction with business electric service in the east among large utilities. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $5 billion of output in its service area, supporting more than 9,500 local jobs and producing $923 million in labor income. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube  and Flickr.