Ad
Featured
Xfinity construction hits gas line in Rivers Edge II
The street was crowded with NM Gas Co. fleet vehicles and Xfinity crew vehicles alike at around noon Feb. 28.
Published
Modified
RIO RANCHO — New Mexico Gas Company has responded to a gas leak in Rivers Edge II around 11 a.m. Friday. The gas service was reconnected at around 3:30 p.m.
“This morning we received a report from the Sandoval County Fire Department that a third-party excavator struck a natural gas line. Our team arrived shortly before 10 a.m. and controlled the leak at 11:22. I don’t have an estimate on when service will be restored,” NM Gas Co.’s Tim Korte said.
The line was hit during Xfinity construction at the corner of Riverview Drive and Willow Creek Road. The construction is aimed at installing connectivity in Rio Rancho.
“As Comcast works to bring its state-of-the-art Xfinity fiber network to Rio Rancho, our priority is the public’s safety. We take all utility incidents very seriously and we will continue working with all construction partners to ensure this project moves forward in a safe, responsible manner,” Julianne Phares, Comcast’s communications officer, said.
This is not the first time a utility has been hit by the company. In November, the Observer reported on a sewage line disruption that displaced a woman and her family for months. The city of Rio Rancho also heard from many people before and after that incident about similar issues. At a special meeting Sept. 27, Comcast Director Chris Dunkeson said they had about 215 cut utilities, or damages to utilities. About half of those were under investigation between Comcast/Xfinity and the Public Regulation Commission.
At the time, Mayor Gregg Hull and council were furious at the impact the internet company has on their constituents. Dunkeson said they were working to resolve the issues.
The full meeting video can be watched on rrnm.gov.
“While Xfinity/Comcast has improved on their processes over time and since they began work in Rio Rancho, based on the nature of the work, there is no way to guarantee, for example, that a water line won’t be cut in the future,” the city stated in an email Nov. 21.
At the time, the city encouraged those with issues or concerns to contact Xfinity/Comcast at rrnm.gov/4858/Comcast-Expansion-Project-in-Rio-Rancho or report an issue to the city directly via its Report Rio Rancho system at rrnm.gov/2703/Report-Rio-Rancho.
“Per the non-exclusive franchise agreement granted to Xfinity/Comcast, they have an obligation to restore property,” the city said, noting that a cover memo of the agreement explains the limitations to deny requests, which can be found at cloudfront.net/riorancho.
Ad
The city apologized for any inconvenience experienced by Xfinity/Comcast’s expansion. “We do believe that when construction/expansion work is completed, the community will benefit greatly by increased service options, which residents have been contacting City officials about for many years,” it stated.
Korte took the opportunity to inform residents about gas leak detection.
“This is an opportunity to remind residents about how to recognize the smell of natural gas and what to do if you smell gas. We add an odorant that smells like rotten eggs to make it easier to identify a potential gas leak,” he said. “If you think there might be a gas leak, don’t guess, just do the following: Move everyone outdoors or, if you’re outside, away from the area.”
From a distance that is safely away, call New Mexico Gas Company at 1-888-664-2726 or call 911.
“As you are leaving the residence or once outside, don’t do anything that might cause a spark – Don’t smoke, don’t use a garage door opener, don’t flip any light switches on or off or turn your appliances or TVs on or off,” he added.
The gas team will respond and let the customer know when it’s safe to go back inside.
Hull and Councilor Nicole List have not yet responded to requests for comment on the Feb. 28 gas leak.
