Craig Hoeferlin, a vice president of operation services for Laclede Gas, has a big part in the project now underway in Maplewood.
He contacted 40 South News about the work that’s been going on in Maplewood for about a year. Here’s a rundown:
- Crews are replacing every cast iron line with plastic lines, down every street in Maplewood. They’ll take care of the entire city once, then they’ll be gone. It should be finished by the end of 2014.
- The plastic is a newer, safer, more reliable natural gas system. It will be the same as if a new subdivision was built with a new natural gas system.
- The new system is higher pressure, so outages and poor pressure due to water freezing in the line are less likely.
- Since freezing isn’t a problem meters can be moved outside. Inspections can be done without going into customers’ homes.
- Last year Laclede Gas replaced 60 miles of gas line in the St. Louis area.
Josh,
At Laclede Gas we strive for best in class customer service and we would like to talk to you about your experience. Would you please contact us directly at [email protected].
Laclede Gas replaced my gas line and meter in Maplewood. Here’s what I would like for Craig Hoeferlin to know from a Maplewood resident’s perspective:
1.) The workers left cigarette butts all over my yard. 2.) While installing the exterior gas meter beneath one of my windows, which was open at the time, the workers were smoking and second hand smoke drifted in through the open window, stinking up my house. 3.) while running the line from the exterior meter into my basement, the workers pulled out the insulation in my wall above the foundation and didn’t put it back when they were finished, leaving the insulation all over the floor of the basement. 3.) They dug a large hole adjacent to the basement wall outside, and left it unfilled for a day while it poured down rain, causing water leakage into my basement (100 year old home). In summary, the workers were sloppy, unprofessional and inconsiderate of the interior and exterior of my home.