Columbia Gas to inspect city pipelines via cameras, April 1

Similar to work they started last year, Columbia Gas will be sending a subcontractor to Hagerstown beginning Monday, April 1, to televise stormwater and sanitary sewer pipelines.

Most of the time, customers do not need to be involved, and while the city is not performing the work, it wants to make everyone aware as a courtesy should they notice a camera truck and support vehicles over the next month.

Columbia Gas will be looking for places where a gas main might have bored through city facilities. The identification of a natural gas cross bore is important, because in the event that a storm drain or sanitary sewer becomes clogged — and there is a gas cross bore nearby — fixing the clog could lead to damage or a break in the gas main.

Columbia Gas’ goal, as part of a statewide safety program, is to find these cross bores (should they exist) and correct them before they become an issue.

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In 2023, Columbia Gas focused its efforts in the West End and will now concentrate mainly in and around the Gateway Crossing development and on Bryan Place.

No excavation is expected to be necessary unless a cross bore is identified and needs to be repaired. Columbia Gas advises that if one is found, there is no cost to the customer for remediation.

For more information on cross bores, go to https://www.columbiagasmd.com/safety/natural-gas-safety/sewer-line-safety or email cpacrossbore@nisource.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Columbia Gas to inspect city pipelines via cameras, April 1