Livingston Still Seeing Impact from December Gas Pipe Rupture

CenterPoint Energy reports the City of Livingston is still seeing an impact following a gas line rupture in Smith County last December.

CenterPoint Manager of Origination Alan Lingerfelt said the line has not operated at full capacity in the three months since, but the company plans to address the issue.

“We are still dealing with that rupture. They’ve corrected it to get gas flowing, but they’re only flowing at 80 percent capacity,” Lingerfelt said. “It’s going to be scheduled in April to be taken down for two weeks, so zero flow will be coming through that pipe.”

Lingerfelt addressed the issue during Livingston’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting March 4. He said the city and its gas customers should still see gas coming through an alternate line while crews work to repair the main line.

“We made gas show up from other directions, so as long as you see pressure in the gauge, you’re getting gas,” Lingerfelt said. “East Tennessee, if they see cold weather coming in, they’re probably going postpone it and not do it during a [cold] period. Last April was pretty cold, so if they see that kind of formation, they’re probably going to postpone it to May.”

Lingerfelt did note that the city’s gas sales have been cheap for the 2018-2019 winter season compared to prior winters despite the rupture.

The Gas line rupture occurred Dec. 15 in which five families in the Pleasant Shade community were evacuated. No one was injured but the rupture affected nearly 6,300 customers at the time from Livingston to Knoxville and Lenoir City.