Washington Gas submits next phase of D.C. infrastructure replacement plan

Washington Gas submitted to the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (PSC) the next phase of PROJECTpipes, the utility’s 40-year program to replace gas infrastructure in the district.

PROJECTpipes has been underway for the past four years, with $78.1 million spent on improvements. By Sept. 30, 2019, that investment figure is expected to reach $110 million. The plan has allowed Washington Gas to both make replacements and recover associated costs through a billing surcharge.

This most recent five-year plan will focus on enhancing safety, improving system reliability and guaranteeing environmental benefits. In all, 22 miles of pipe will be replaced, alongside 7,274 service lines. Following PSC approval, this proposed plan would set the average residential heating customer’s surcharge to around $4.08 per month.

“Safety has been at the center of everything we do at Washington Gas since our founding 170 years ago,” Adrian Chapman, president and CEO of Washington Gas, said. “PROJECTpipes continues our mission to provide safe and reliable gas service to our customers by improving our infrastructure. Like all older metropolitan systems across the country, our pipeline system in Washington, D.C. is aging. This next phase of PROJECTpipes will expedite the replacement of older pipeline so we can continue to deliver affordable gas service in the years ahead.”

To date, 13 miles of pipe and 3,000 service lines have been replaced. Washington Gas calculates that this has reduced greenhouse gas releases from its distribution system by around 5,674 metric tons.