Mountaineer Gas files civil suit against West Virginia American Water - WSAZ
Mountaineer Gas files civil suit against West Virginia American Water
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Mountaineer Gas Company filed civil action on Tuesday against West Virginia American Water Company.
The complaint states a massive gas outage on Charleston’s west side that began on Nov. 10 happened following a water main rupture that resulted in substantial amounts of water infiltrating Mountaineer’s gas lines.
The complaint claims that the water company, not Mountaineer Gas, is responsible for the interruption to the gas service that lasted weeks.
“We firmly believe the interruption of gas service to our customers is a direct result of the failure of the West Virginia American Water Company facilities, and we feel West Virginia American Water should be responsible for the significant costs incurred by Mountaineer,” said spokesperson Senior Vice President Moses Skaff.
The complaint also states, “A water main located on the west side ruptured, producing a blast of water that broke a nearby gas line. This caused water to infiltrate Mountaineer’s lines as well as some customer lines and appliances.”
Mountaineer says the water company is responsible for the damage to the gas line as well as the resulting interruption of gas service and damage to Mountaineer and customer facilities.
The company said it mobilized crews from across the state to purge its lines of water and restore service to customers. In addition, Mountaineer says it has paid to replace customer appliances damaged by water infiltration.
The complaint calls the cost ‘significant’ and demands the water company pay.
In addition, Mountaineer maintains the water company should pay all expenses associated with civil actions that have been filed as well as any damages awarded in those actions.
“The company has worked around the clock to minimize the interruption in service and endeavored to keep lines of communication with local officials and customers open, and the company will continue to do so,” Skaff said. “However, due to the pending legal proceedings, Mountaineer will focus communications on ongoing developments rather than the matters at issue in the court actions.”
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