- Piedmont Natural Gas is reminding customers if they smell
natural gas, get out fast!
- An odorant called mercaptan is injected into natural gas,
giving it a smell like rotten eggs so it is easy to detect.
- Video: Learn how mercaptan works.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 13,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With more homes and businesses
using natural gas for heat during the fall and winter months,
Piedmont Natural Gas is encouraging customers and communities to
learn the signs of a natural gas leak.
"Natural gas leaks can be managed quickly and safely if you know
what to look for," said Brian
Weisker, president of Piedmont Natural Gas. "We are
committed to educating our customers on how to identify a natural
gas leak and how to react if they suspect there is a leak."
Train your nose
Natural gas by itself has no
smell. An odorant called mercaptan is
injected into natural gas, giving it the distinctive smell of
rotten eggs. The odor makes natural gas easy to detect and can
alert the public of a natural gas leak to help avoid a potentially
dangerous situation.
"It's important to train your nose to recognize the odor of
mercaptan," added Weisker. "Foul odors like rotten eggs serve as a
warning that something is wrong, and knowing the warning signs is
the best way to ensure the safety of our customers and communities
if a natural gas leak occurs."
Look and listen
In addition to having a distinct smell, natural gas leaks
often are visual, causing bubbling water, blowing dirt or dead
plants. You also may see sinkholes or exposed pipe. It's also
possible to hear a hissing sound near a natural gas line or
meter.
Steps to take if you suspect a leak
If you
detect a natural gas odor, follow these steps:
- Leave the area immediately.
- Call Piedmont at
800.752.7504 or call 911 from a neighbor's house or somewhere
away from the smell of natural gas.
- Do not return to the location of the leak until a Piedmont technician or emergency responder
informs you the area is safe.
Another layer of natural gas safety
Installing a
natural gas detector is an additional safety measure to keep
residents aware of potential leaks. A natural gas detector will
sound an alarm if levels of natural gas in the area indicate a
leak.
If the alarm is triggered, stop what you are doing, get as far
away from the smell as possible and call 911, or call
Piedmont
at 800.752.7504.
For additional information about natural gas safety, visit the
Piedmont Natural Gas website.
Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a
subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), distributes
natural gas to more than 1.2 million residential, commercial,
industrial and power generation customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. More
information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont
Natural Gas: X,
Facebook.
Piedmont Natural Gas
Media line: 877.348.3612
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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas