UPDATE: SaskEnergy still restoring natural gas service to customers in the Melfort area
A natural gas pipeline rupture is affecting approximately 4,500 SaskEnergy customers in Melfort and the surrounding area.
The rupture of the high-pressure transmission line happened Wednesday morning between Weldon and Birch Hills, causing a pressure drop in SaskEnergy’s natural gas system in the Melfort area.
SaskEnergy has sent a crew to make repairs to the line.
An investigation into the cause of the rupture will take place once service is restored.
Technicians and operators are still trying to determine the scope of the outage and SaskEnergy continues to respond to outage calls in Melfort, St. Brieux, Kinistino, and the surrounding rural area.
Anyone without service is asked to contact SaskEnergy at 1-888-700-0427.
SaskEnergy has the following tips for those without service:
- Put on extra layers of clothing to conserve body heat.
- Prevent water pipes from freezing (keep taps open and let water run slowly if outage is expected to be of short duration; shut off water main and drain all taps and flush toilets if a long outage is expected).
- If you have natural gas appliances ensure they are all turned off for when service is restored.
- Start an alternative heating source: wood-burning fireplaces and stoves – but don’t use equipment designed for outdoor use.
- Open blinds and drapes during the day to let in natural sunlight and close them at night to retain the heat.
Customers will be given assistance with relighting and restarting appliances once service is restored.
The temperature in Melfort late Wednesday morning was -24 with a wind chill of -33.