Duquesne Light crews locate leak of underground fluid in Pittsburgh's Strip District
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Duquesne Light has located the source of the leak from an underground cable in Pittsburgh's Strip District that has spilled tens of thousands of gallons of fluid.
The company says that the leak was first discovered last week and since then, around 47,000 gallons of clear, non-toxic liquid that is used to cool down and insulate underground cables.
"Now that we've confirmed the source and evaluated the area more thoroughly, we're very confident that the second freeze site will give us the best opportunity to stop the leak," said John Hilderbrand II, vice president of operations at DLC. "In the meantime, we're actively collecting the dielectric fluid at the leak site; continuing to take steps to reduce the leak rate; closely monitoring local waterways; and engaging with internal and external experts to ensure a successful outcome. We continue to appreciate everyone's patience as we safely correct the issue."
Crews began digging on the city's North Side last week before locating the leak in the Strip District on Monday.
As the fluid leaks, Duquesne Light is using a vacuum truck to remove the liquid.
The outbound lanes of Liberty Avenue are currently closed to traffic between 26th Street and 28th Street with one lane of traffic in each direction using the inbound lanes of the roadway.
There's no timeframe yet on when the work to repair the leak will be completed or when the roadway is expected to fully reopen.