Old and broken natural gas pipes in Norwich, Connecticut, will soon be replaced, thanks to funding from the federal government.
Norwich Public Utilities has been awarded nearly $11 million to replace around 10 miles of old gas pipes — some dating back to the Civil War period.
Manager Christopher LaRose said the funding helps them and their customers.
“As a result of the two rounds of funding from PHMSA, NPU will now be able to complete more than 25 years of important upgrades to our natural gas system in about 5 years,” LaRose said. “And this funding represents several million dollars that will not come from our customers to fund these essential upgrades.”
“So our customers, the people we serve, will be greatly helped.”
Tristan Brown, deputy administrator of the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said a lot of work is needed nationwide.
“This is part of a nationwide tour where we are awarding nearly $400 million for 130 individual projects around the country, with the goal of replacing or repairing a thousand miles of high-risk legacy pipe, creating good paying jobs and modernizing infrastructure for decades,” Brown said.
According to authorities, the new pipes, which will be modern high-density polyethylene, will reduce gas leaks, improve local air quality and reduce pollutants.
