CenterPoint Energy

CenterPoint Energy was called out to unretire a gas line for a new home. They excavated something, but when the technician was called out to hook the service up to the home, he stated that there was nothing there.

This raises some questions:

1. If there was nothing there, why did the dispatcher allow a new service request to the home?
2. If they allowed a new service request, why did the technician not find the line?
3. If there is nothing there, why did they dig an access hole to the gas main?
4. If there is nothing there, why did they dig a trench to the back of the house to extend the gas line to the northern part of the home?
5. Why did they mark the gas line with yellow paint? To put nothing in the ground?

images

---

Disturbed earth near the curb in front of the house that needs gas service. The ground has clearly been dug and the area excavated is large because they would be adding the fitting to branch the gas line out from the main to the home.

Another view of the curb. The yellow arrow was put there by the gas company to denote where the main is located and where the service should be put in.

The trench that was excavated while the line was being put in. It goes towards the back of the house on it's northern side to hook up with a gas stub out for the home.

Further trenching.

Trench going towards the home's stub out. The provided gas flex hose can be seen hanging on the home's gas stub out.

Leftover work flag used to mark where the gas line was placed.

Another work flag left by the excavator. This flag is closer to the home, near the stub out.