DENVER (KDVR) — Xcel Energy is working to fix a main gas line that was damaged earlier this week, leaving 700 customers in the area without gas for the past several days.
“I didn’t understand until I could not shower. Let alone run my dishwasher,” Thomasine Connors, who has been without gas since Wednesday said.
Many of the people who live in the area tell FOX31 and Channel 2 that they didn’t receive any type of notification from Xcel that the gas was turned off.
Gina Kirkpatrick, a homeowner in the area said she was trying to make pancakes Wednesday morning when she thought the gas stove wasn’t working. She said she even called in a repair man and that’s when they realized Xcel had turned off the gas throughout the entire neighborhood.
“Xcel has lived in this neighborhood for the last four days,” Kirkpatrick said.
Crews have been working on almost every street in the area since Wednesday. Some neighbors have had their gas turned back on but hundreds still haven’t. FOX31 and Channel 2 contacted Xcel to see if we could find some answers to what exactly happened and learn how much longer customers can expect to live without gas. Michelle Aguayo with Xcel Energy sent us this statement:
Xcel Energy crews have been working to restore natural gas service to customers in the area of 48th and Clayton, after the main line was damaged. Customers lost service on Wednesday. While our crews are working around the clock to safely restore service as quickly as possible, significant work still needs to be done to replace a portion of the impacted gas line and we do not have an estimated time of restoration.
In the meantime, we are providing services and ongoing communication to our impacted customers. We know it’s difficult to be without gas service and appreciate our customers’ patience during this time. If they have questions, a command center has been set up at the Lorraine Granado Park on Steele Street.
As an important safety reminder, if customers detect a sulfur or “rotten egg” smell inside or near their home, they should leave their home immediately and call 1-800-895-2999 or 911.
The Elyria Swansea neighborhood is also one of the areas that has been impacted by the major Interstate 70 project happening. Some neighbors are skeptical that the damage to the gas line is because of the I-70 project but FOX31 and Channel 2 reached out to the Colorado Department of Transportation who sent this statement:
Our crews have identified that this is an issue not related to the Project and has occurred outside our Project limits. I am unaware of specifics as to what happened but I believe there are about 700 homes in the impacted area due to water in the gas line caused by another contractor in the area.
Sunday will be day five without gas. Xcel has set up four different taco trucks for families in the area to go and get food. Neighbors were also told that Xcel would be setting up portable showers.
“They will have portable showers … not really into portable showers,” Mark, a neighbor dealing with the problem said.
The main complaint neighbors told us is they want Xcel to provide hotel vouchers until the gas is turned back on.
“This neighborhood has always been forgotten about. Always,” Connors said.