Southern California Gas Company Street Work Could Result in Wafting Odor of Natural Gas

The Southern California Gas Company will be performing a hydrostatic pressure test on a segment of one of its natural gas pipelines in West Pasadena through June and into early July which may include periodic closures of some lanes of traffic.

Work hours will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Construction will take place in three locations: Fair Oaks Ave. between Hurlbut St. and Bellefontaine St.; Pasadena Ave. between Del Mar Ave. and Valley St.; and Corson St. between Holly St. and Walnut St.

The gas company says it will take approximately two months to complete.

Lane reductions along abovementioned construction areas will result in traffic delays. Heavy equipment along with SoCal Gas and contractors’ trucks will be present in and around the work area. Streets will be plated during non-working hours.

This test involves digging around the underground pipeline and safely venting natural gas from the pipeline. Workers will then fill the pipeline with water and increase the pressure to a level that is higher than the pipeline’s normal operating pressure. If the pipeline holds the pressure without any leaks, the pipeline will be returned to service.

If the pipeline leaks during the test, SoCal Gas will repair the pipeline and retest it, or replace it with new, pretested pipeline.

At times, you may smell the odor of natural gas and hear a loud, steady noise as they vent natural gas from the pipeline using safe and common techniques. Although this is normal when crews are working, SoCal Gas encourage anyone who has concerns about the smell of gas to call them from a safe location at (800) 427-2200, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.