Some central Whanganui streets reconnected with gas after week without supply

Some residents in the Aramoho area can expect to have gas reintroduced to their GasNet supply by Tuesday or Wednesday. Photo / Bevan Conley

Gas supplies have now been restored in many central Whanganui streets, College Estate and the St John's Hill area.

Since Sunday, February 9, GasNet has been working to restore gas supplies to 282 properties after a leak in a Whanganui District Council water pipe, running alongside a main GasNet pipe on St John's Hill, created a hole in the GasNet pipe and began filling it with water and surrounding dirt.

GasNet general manager Geoff Evans said numbers 55 to 143A London St and Pitt St properties now had their supplies restored.

Consumers in these areas who have no gas should contact GasNet so the supply can be reconnected.

Water removal began on Monday in gas pipes along Halswell and Glasgow streets and Somme Parade.

Because of delays caused by blockages in the pipes along Halswell and Glasgow streets, water removal was expected to be completed yesterday.

Gas was reintroduced on Tuesday, followed by reconnection of consumers' supplies on Tuesday or Wednesday, to Barrack, Halswell, Russell and Tay streets.

The same was expected for Argyle St but this was dependent on the progress made on Tuesday with the other four streets, Evans said.

Tuesday's rain added another dimension, he said, but did not stop technicians from working.

GasNet representatives will visit each affected property after gas is reintroduced to a street to check the meter installation and the consumer's appliances for any faults.

Evans said although some properties were likely to have their supplies restored sooner, because of the extent of the outage and the effort required to isolate, purge and reinstate each section of pipe, it was likely some consumers would not have their gas restored for a number of days.