REGINA BEACH, Sask. – It’s decision time for 162 homeowners in Regina Beach, who have until July 15 to choose between upgraded gas lines in the potentially unstable ground or cutting off natural gas service altogether.
Ian Stewart knew something was wrong when he felt soft spots in his yard; then he began to notice cracks in his drywall and damage to door frames.
SaskEnergy says it will upgrade his underground service lines to make them more flexible if they pass the test. Alternatively, he could switch to propane or electric with the help of a rebate for water heaters and furnaces – 50 per cent of the cost up to $2,500.
“I’m thinking we’ll be okay,” Stewart said. “(Hopefully) they’ll do their assessment and find they can continue providing natural gas service. That’s what I’m counting on.”
Other options
Fred Schuba doesn’t get to pick. He’s one of 24 customers whose gas service will be shut off at the end of August.
Some of his appliances can’t be retrofitted, so even with a cheque from SaskEnergy, making the change could set him back thousands of dollars.
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“From retrofitting, which would be an acceptable cost, to replacing … this becomes a major cost,” Schuba said.
Add that on top of the repairs he hopes to make to the crumbling dream property, which has seen slumping of nearly one metre.
“So we have to rethink our retirement plan.”
Gas line upgrades
SaskEnergy says its rebate is a fair offer because continuing with gas lines above ground, originally a temporary measure, is not an option. The Crown also refuses to keep servicing underground lines it feels are unsafe.
“There’s only 12 inches of movement in an expansion loop we put in to gas mains and in some cases, that’s already used up,” said SaskEnergy spokesperson Dave Burdeniuk. “The homes themselves may be on a piece of land that’s actually stable. Our challenge is we can’t safely get the gas to their service line.”
READ MORE: Regina Beach residents fear another natural gas explosion
With upgrades to the 160 properties, SaskEnergy believes it can remedy the issues that have come since heavy rainfall in 2014 – but there are no guarantees.
“If something unforeseen happens and there’s severe movement on their property, we may have to suspend service and permanently stop service for them as well.”
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