Walker leaders discuss upgrades, issues with natural gas system - The Advocate

Walker leaders discuss upgrades, issues with natural gas system | Livingston/Tangipahoa | theadvocate.com

A lengthy, detailed report on the status of the natural gas system operated by the city of Walker was presented Oct. 9 during a City Council meeting.

Aside from the discussion of the gas system, Mayor Jimmy Watson announced that Halloween trick-or-treating would be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. He also announced that the Walker Fall Fest will be Oct. 28 at Sidney Hutchinson Park.

The discussion of the gas system, and improvements and challenges to the operation that serves a large portion of Livingston Parish and parts of a neighboring parish, was led by the Jamie Etheridge, the city’s chief of staff, and Brian Suberbielle, senior project manager of the SJB Group, LLC, engineers for the system.

They discussed concerns with a lack of gas pressure in some neighborhoods and subdivisions from time to time. Etheridge said the problem with the gas supply was exacerbated during an exceptionally cold snap this past winter. The sudden demand for excessive gas caused some customers to lose pressure in the lines feeding their homes or businesses with the result of residents left in the cold, he said.

An additional complication addressed by Etheridge and Suberbielle was the rapid growth of home generators that are largely fueled by natural gas. “If the electric power goes off, all of a sudden, all these home generators go on, sucking up the available natural gas, and then it takes considerable time for the lines to gradually fill up with gas to keep the generators going,” Suberbielle said.

Both speakers explained that when the gas system was originally installed decades ago, it was not built with the growth that has developed over the years and with the use of so many home electric generators. To address the problem Etheridge said improvements are almost constantly being made to the system, with the emphasis being on an upgrade in the size and composition of the pipes supplying the gas.

The Walker Gas System now serves approximately 12,000 customers all linked by a system of pipes that extends from south of I-12, north into St. Helena Parish. Gas outages last winter were especially noticeable in areas south of the interstate and north of Denham Springs and into the Watson area, Etheridge said. He said improvements have been made in both areas and work continues to assure all customers that an adequate supply of gas will be available.

“Through a system of modernization and upgrading projects we are working to improve the system. We are committed to providing a safe, reliable supply of gas to all of our current customers and to future customers. We have experienced steady growth in the area we serve, and we are constantly studying ways to make our gas system even better,” Etherege said.

He added, “we know where our limitations are, and we are working to see that those limitations are corrected. We have already installed new pipes and meters in some of the areas where low pressure was a problem and we will continue to strive to see that all of our customers are served the way that they should be,” he said.

One upgrade that will be available this winter is the use of temporary gas containers that can be plugged into existing lines to boost the amount of natural gas going into the system. Those tanks will be placed in strategic areas and will be ready for use if necessary. The city has also been in contact with the wholesale providers of natural gas to try to increase the amount of gas allocated to the city.

Larry Williams, director of the Walker Gas System, said the city has trained technicians on call around the clock who can respond to emergencies if and when they occur. He also said that in the event that a home or business loses gas and pilot lights go out, his crews will assist in checking and relighting gas systems.