Imagine being told you have less than three months to find an alternative way to provide heat and energy for your home. That’s the reality for Gregg Clarke and 246 other property owners in the Last Mountain Lake area.
SaskEnergy announced Tuesday that they would have to cut-off natural gas service to these customers. The reason: ground shifts that started in 2014 have severely damaged gas pipes, creating a severe risk of underground leaks, and potentially explosions.
“It’s just another insult to injury, that’s what this is. It’s been ongoing this is the third year now,” Clarke said.
This looming natural gas shutoff is the latest in a line of issues slumping has caused at Clarke’s Regina Beach home.
Over the past three years his foundation has sunk 50 centimetres, or 20 inches. A heavy-duty jack system has been installed to reinforce his home, but the foundation is still full of cracks and a large piece of it lies on the floor.
READ MORE: Safety concerns prompt permanent removal of natural gas service at Last Mountain Lake
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Clarke belongs to a group of residents that have similar issues called “Up the Creek”. They’ve helped each other secure funding for essential repairs through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP).
Now, Clarke is preparing to retrofit his home and appliances to use propane, another $5,000 hit.
“When there’s an issue I fix it, I don’t wait,” he said.
SaskEnergy is offering customers like Clarke a $2,500 conversion allowance. Impacted customers have until September 5 to convert their homes to propane or electric heat.
On Tuesday, SaskEnergy’s Dave Burdeniuk explained that the slumping has become a significant safety risk at Last Mountain Lake.
“We have 1,600 customers at Last Mountain Lake. We’re removing service to 250 properties. We feel we can safely serve the other 1,300 customers,” he explained.
In a statement, the Town of Regina Beach said they acknowledge the hardship members of the community are experiencing. Seventy-six properties are losing service, which is less than six per cent of the community according to the town office.
Since 2014, the town has committed $2 million to projects that address community issues like drainage.
SaskEnergy has invested $7.9 million in capital dollars and another $1.2 million for operation improvements.
Clarke believes this kind of work should have started long before the slumping occurred. He said all the development loosened the bedrock, creating conditions for easier erosion.
Two information sessions will be help for impacted property owners. The first is on June 15 from 4-8 p.m. at Comfort Suites in Regina. The second is June 17 from 12-4 p.m. at South Shore Elementary School in Regina Beach.
The other five affected communities are Saskatchewan Beach (87 homes), Buena Vista (62), Craven (12), Shore Acres (6) and Sundale (4).
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