Natural Gas Line Replacements in Blue Earth


Anticipated timeline: a couple of months starting Monday, April 17

  • If you contact CenterPoint Energy, please reference the work order number 106236516.

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Overview

In coordination with the City of Blue Earth and Faribault County’s work, CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors will work in Blue Earth. They will begin on Monday, April 17 and will work for a couple of months on the following streets:

  • Galbraith Street at the alley between 1st and 2nd Streets and at the alley between 2nd and 3rd Streets
  • Ramsey Street from 2nd Street to the alley between 2nd and 3rd Streets and at the intersection of 1st Street
  • The intersection of 3rd Street and Rice Street

Equix Integrity updates our records on the locations of sewer lines in relation to natural gas lines. Michels Corporation will replace natural gas mains, move inside meters to the outside of homes, and replace or reconnect service lines as needed. Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by Michels Corporation’s work outside the limits of the City of Blue Earth and Faribault County’s work. There will be no assessment or cost associated with our work.


Marking utilities

CenterPoint Energy will contact Gopher State One Call 811 to locate public underground utilities such as water, sewer, and cable. You will see markings such as spray paint and utility flags. They will be color-coordinated to indicate a separate utility.

If you have installed any private lines such as sprinklers or dog fences, we ask that you mark them with whatever material is convenient for you. Examples include spray paint, flags, and wooden sticks used to stir paint. Marking sprinkler heads is sufficient.


Plastic main work

One crew will replace the natural gas plastic main. They plan to bore it underneath a sidewalk. Another crew will follow to work on the service lines and meters.

Please keep in mind that some intersections or some sidewalk panels at intersections may not be permanently restored until after the service line work is done. After all customers’ service lines are transferred to the new main, the crew can connect the new main to the existing intersecting mains and put the new main into service. Until these areas are permanently restored, customers may see temporary backfill such as dirt or gravel. We thank you for your patience!


Service line and meter work

The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail explaining the project before the natural gas crews perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs. After the customer receives the postcard, the foreman will arrive at the customer’s house to schedule an appointment that typically meets with the customer’s schedule. If the customer isn’t home when they arrive, they will leave a door tag with their contact information to schedule an appointment with them.

The natural gas crew will either fully replace the service line or reconnect it to the new main, depending on the line’s age. For most properties, the crews remove at least one sidewalk panel in front of the house, excavate a hole by the outside meter, and bore the service line from the sidewalk to the house.

For inside meters, the crew will make a two- to three-hour appointment at a time that works with the resident. We encourage customers to work with the crew on where they want the meter to go, keeping limitations in mind such as a minimum of three feet away from areas such as windows, doors, and vents. Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains.

The technician will access the natural gas meter inside the house, move the meter outside, and relight the natural gas appliance pilot lights after the new meter has been relocated.


Steel main work

While the crew will replace the plastic main on the east side of Moore Street, they will replace the steel main on the west side of Moore Street. They need to open trench the road to weld pieces of the main together.  

Although the crew plans to keep Moore Street open to residents, it will be closed to through traffic. The sidewalk will be closed on the side where the crews are working.

Although the crews will work with residents on maintaining access to and from their homes, they may close a driveway for half a day. Restoration will follow the steel main work.


Restoration

After the service line and meter work, the gas crew will backfill the excavated areas with dirt or gravel. This will be temporary before the restoration crew comes. On boulevards and lawns, they will refill the areas with black dirt, grass seed, and netting that degrades over about four months. Prior to mowing the restored area, remove any loose staples that secured the netting. For photo examples, please visit our Restoration Practices page.