Construction to bring natural gas to communities in Bruce County is recommencing. EPCOR, and construction partner AECON, will be continuing work on a service network that will bring natural gas to customers who have signed up for service.
A media release said construction has already started in Inverhuron, Chesley and Point Clark while residents in Paisley and Lurgan Beach will see activity resume in the coming weeks. Crews will recommence work in Kincardine and Lucknow in July and in Ripley in August. Residents slated to connect to natural gas service in Tiverton will see construction take place in November.
EPCOR's media release added that to build the distribution network safely and maintain reliability of other utilities, construction crews need to identify the utilities that are located along the public utility corridor. This work is done in accordance with the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act. In the community, many properties have landscaping or driveways that extend into the public utility corridor where EPCOR will complete its work. This may result in driveways, sidewalks or landscaping being disturbed to expose underground utilities. All areas affected by construction will be restored.
“The sections on both the public and private side that are disturbed, as well as impacted streets, alleys and sidewalks will be fully restored once construction is complete and at the appropriate time in the growing season,” says Susannah Robinson, EPCOR's Vice President, Ontario Region. “We greatly appreciate the community’s support and patience as we bring natural gas to residents and business owners in the region.”
Residents are urged to contact EPCOR if they have underground systems, such as sprinklers, irrigation systems, invisible dog fences or septic systems as these assets cannot be identified through utility locating services and could be damaged during construction. This helps to prevent service disruptions – such as telecommunications, power or water – or injury to construction crews or the public.
EPCOR is also reminding residents and businesses that, with natural gas now present or soon to be in the community, all buried utilities, including natural gas lines, must be located by Ontario One Call before digging or any other action that disturbs the ground. While natural gas lines are typically buried at a minimum 18 inches, excavating even just 12 inches below the surface could result in a line being struck. Ontario legislation holds anyone causing damage to underground infrastructure liable.
“Safety is our top priority at EPCOR – for our employees and our customers,” says Robinson. “We ask residents to take a few small steps, such as notifying EPCOR of underground systems on their property, staying safe around construction areas and contacting Ontario One Call before digging in their yards. This helps ensure the safety of their families, our crew and everyone in the community.”