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Peoples restores Rustic Ridge natural gas service | TribLIVE.com
Plum Advance Leader

Peoples restores Rustic Ridge natural gas service

Brian C. Rittmeyer
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Mike Orfanopoulos | Tribune-Review
Crews from Peoples Gas work to purge natural gas lines of air in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood in preparation of restoring gas service in the area on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
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Mike Orfanopoulos | Tribune-Review
Crews from Peoples Gas work to purge natural gas lines of air in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood in preparation of restoring gas service in the area on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023.
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Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review
A Peoples Gas employee walks down Rustic Ridge Drive on Wednesday while the company was preparing to restart natural gas service to residents in the Plum neighborhood.
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Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review
A Peoples Gas crew works on Timberwood Court in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood on Wednesday while preparing to restore gas service to residents.
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Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review
Chuck Biehl of Rustic Ridge Drive watches as a Peoples Gas crew makes its way through the neighborhood patching lawns Wednesday. Biehl, a resident for 17 years, said he was surprised by the unexpected visit and very grateful.
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Louis B. Ruediger | Tribune-Review
A Peoples Gas employee walks down Rustic Ridge Drive on Wednesday while getting natural gas lines back in service in the Plum neighborhood.

Workers from Peoples natural gas purged gas lines Wednesday in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in preparation for restoring gas service to residents there.

According to the borough, the work took place along Rustic Ridge and Brookside drives and Timberwood Court.

Peoples spokesman Nick Paradise said purging the lines is part of the process to restore gas service by removing any air in the lines and reenergizing the system.

Testing of the system with the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office and the state Public Utility Commission was completed Tuesday night.

Natural gas service was expected to be restored to customers in the explosion site area by the end of the day Wednesday, according to Peoples, which sent technicians door to door to conduct a safety check and relight appliances.

Authorities are continuing to investigate after Saturday’s house explosion on Rustic Ridge Drive in which six people were killed and two were injured. Three houses were destroyed and numerous others were damaged, some beyond repair.


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Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.

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