NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS BEGINS REPLACING 12” MAIN IN MANTOLOKING AND RESTORING SERVICE TO ITS EIGHTH SECTION OF MAIN IN LBI

New Jersey Natural Gas today provided the following assessment and restoration updates for the damaged portions of its system:

Bay Head to Seaside

We began installing 413’ of 12” main in Mantoloking. Crews continue to clear main anomalies that must be addressed before gas can be re-introduced into the system. We expect to begin re-pressurizing our system at our regulator station south of the Mantoloking Bridge on December 3. Barring unforeseen conditions that may delay our work, we anticipate restoring natural gas service by the end of December to all of our customers whose homes have not sustained such major damage that we cannot safely restore their service.

Long Beach Island

Today, we are working on restoring service to the eighth section of our main on Long Beach Island, from 86th Street to 128th Street.  We expect to move onto the ninth section tomorrow, from 129th Street to Marine Street. 

Natural gas is now available to 6,175 of our customers’ meters.

In Holgate, 95 percent of the additional field assessments of both mains and services have been completed, and 24 services have been retired.  

Scheduling, details and updates on our LBI restoration work are available at www.njng.com/safety/hurricane-sandy-updates/lbi-service-restoration.asp.

Ocean County Mainland

Natural gas is now available to 7,842 of our affected customers’ meters, with 2,844 turned back on.

Monmouth County

In Manasquan, 30 meters have been made gas-ready, four additional services have been retired and replaced and our crews continue work installing main along First Avenue. 33 meters in the Bayshore region are gas-ready, and we continue to finalize plans and make preparations for re-pressurization of Clifford Way and Bayshore Avenue in Laurence Harbor.

Meters are now being rebuilt in the sections where natural gas has been reintroduced. Once a meter has been re-established and you see a tag on the customer gas valve just past your meter, your home’s natural gas service may be turned on by your qualified technician--but only after electricity has been restored, you have safely returned to your home, and your qualified technician has determined that your natural gas equipment is safe to operate. 

Federal, New Jersey and local safety codes prohibit tampering with natural gas meters and service lines. Even if natural gas service has not yet been restored to your area, this could significantly hamper efforts to restore service.

If you smell an odor of natural gas, leave the building immediately. Do not light matches, touch electrical switches or appliances, or use your telephone. From a safe location, customers should notify us of all gas leaks immediately at 1-800-GAS-LEAK. 

With natural gas now restored to some affected areas and property clean-up underway, please remember that at least three business days prior to outdoor construction or digging, contractors and property owners – whoever is excavating – must call New Jersey One Call at 811 or 800-272-1000 and take the following steps:

• Wait for the site to be marked with paint, flags or stakes. Yellow indicates the presence of underground natural gas lines.
• Respect the marks and dig with care.
• Hand dig only (no mechanized equipment) within two feet of buried piping and facilities.
• Be mindful that inclement weather may wash away the painted markings.For additional information, visit our Hurricane Sandy Resource Center at www.njng.com.