Peoples Gas Repairs Damaged Main After Service Knocked Out To More Than 90 Homes
(CBS) -- Peoples Gas has fixed the damage to a gas main that forced the utility to cut off service to 91 customers in the south side Beverly neighborhood.
A third-party contractor damaged the gas main, in the 10000 block of South Prospect, Peoples Gas spokeswoman Jennifer Block said.
Crews shut off the natural gas supply at 3 p.m. to assess the damage, and finished work on the main at about 9 p.m. Utility workers are going door-to-door through the night to relight pilot lights.
Peoples Gas is asking customers who want that assistance to leave their porch lights on.
The break was less than a mile away from a house explosion on Tuesday after a Water Department crew hit a gas main. The explosion leveled a home on 107th Place in Morgan Park. There were no people were injured and the family was not home at the time, but the family dog died in the explosion.
The ruptured gas main in Morgan Park still needs repairs and 52 homes will be without service starting at 9 a.m. Thursday. Peoples Gas expects the repairs and testing to last about five to six hours.
Peoples Gas said in a statement, "We apologize for this inconvenience, but it is necessary to ensure the safety and reliability of the natural gas system and the safety of our customers and our employees."
Peoples Gas is asking residents to call them at 866-556-6002 if the smell any odor of gas.
NOTE: This story has been changed to reflect the fact that People's Gas spokeswoman Jennifer Block said "a third-party contractor" damaged the gas main. Block never said the city's water department was responsible, which was incorrectly attributed to her in an earlier version of this story. CBS Chicago regrets the error.