Nicor Gas replaces last cast iron gas main

Nicor Gas, which provides gas service in Illinois, is retiring its last cast iron gas pipeline as it completed a project to replace and update its gas lines.

The completion of this project was marked by a celebration with local officials at its headquarters in Naperville, Ill. Cast iron mains are among the oldest energy pipelines. Many of them were installed constructed and many were installed more than 60 years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA). The degrading nature of iron alloys has greatly increased the risk involved with continued use of such pipelines.

“This is a milestone achievement that was completed more than five years ahead of schedule as part of the Natural Gas Consumer Safety and Reliability Act,” Pat Whiteside, vice president of business support at Nicor Gas, said. “Retiring the last of the cast iron main from our system helps to ensure the long-term safety and reliability of natural gas service for our customers, our neighbors, and our communities.”

Nicor Gas had more than 1,200 miles of cast iron main in its distribution system at one time. It began the process of replacing them in the 1970s. The company has replaced an average of 25 miles of cast iron main per year, but with the passage of the Natural Gas Consumer Safety and Reliability Act in 2013, the company began replacing more than 50 miles a year.

Currently, 97 percent of the natural gas distribution pipelines in the United States today are made of plastic or steel. Only 3 percent of pipelines are made of cast iron, according to PHMSA.

Nicor Gas, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, serves more than 2.2 million customers in the northern part of Illinois.