'We will have a state-of-the-art system': NPU gets $10.9 million for gas line replacements

Matt Grahn, Norwich Bulletin
Updated ·3 min read

While Norwich Public Utilities General Manager Chris LaRose is glad to receive any money from the government, he was ecstatic that it it’s enough to complete a large project in the city.

“We would’ve been happy with $100,000,” he said. “This number is very, very nice.”

Norwich Public Utilities announced Monday it will receive $10.9 million from the federal government to replace aging natural gas lines. Last year, NPU received over $10 million.

The federal money means NPU customers aren’t paying for the work in their rates, Community Outreach Manager Chris Riley said.

The money is from the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization grant program of The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

NPU received a $10.9 million grant to fund cast iron pipe replacement in the city. The project will start this year, and conclude in 2028.
NPU received a $10.9 million grant to fund cast iron pipe replacement in the city. The project will start this year, and conclude in 2028.

The funding will help utilities address safety risks, methane emission from aging natural gas distribution pipes, and fund equipment to detect and prevent leaks, the press release stated.

Specifically, cast iron natural gas mains will be replaced with high-density polyethylene. NPU has used these kinds of pipes since the 1970s, and hasn’t had a problem with them yet, LaRose said.

The grant is funding $392 million worth of work this year to 130 projects around the country. Some of the cast iron pipes to be replaced are from the Civil War era. Those pipes pose risks of injury and death over time, and emit large amounts of methane, PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristian Brown said.

Tristian Brown, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, speaking at a check presentation for NPU Monday.
Tristian Brown, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, speaking at a check presentation for NPU Monday.

When and where

Work on the gas main replacements is expected to start in the fall, and continue into 2028, according to a press release from NPU.

The work is in five phases, and will replace 9.04 miles of pipe. The first phase is southern section of North Main Street and the NFA areas. The second is the northern section of North Main Street and Asylum Street areas. The third is the Norwichtown and East Main Street areas. The fourth phase is the Taftville and Shipping Street areas. The fifth is Laurel Hill, according to the press release.

These projects represent 25 years worth of work condensed into five years, LaRose said.

“We will have a state-of-the-art system that will be the pride of Norwich and a role model for the rest of the country,” he said.

Construction will be handled in the usual way, and NPU will minimize traffic disruptions, LaRose said.

By the end of the project, the cast iron pipes will be gone, but steel pipes from the 1960’s and 1970’s will remain, LaRose said.

A cast iron pipe next to a polyethylene pipe.
A cast iron pipe next to a polyethylene pipe.

Job creation

The five years of replacement projects also mean more jobs in the area. The Department of Transportation estimated Norwich’s project will create 164 jobs.

Funding, between this grant and other investment, will continue to help make Norwich a safer and more attractive place. The U.S. Department of Labor’s end-of-year labor market report stated the Norwich-New London-Westerly area is the fastest growing in the state and second fastest in New England, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said.

“Good things are happening here in a community like Norwich because of these investments,” he said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: NPU gets $10 million federal grant to replace cast iron natural gas pipes