Repairs have been successfully made to a ruptured natural gas line between Pullman and Colfax affecting service to more than 36,000 customers in eastern Washington and north central Idaho.
However, before service can be fully restored, Avista Utilities, which provides the gas, must first purge the system, re-pressurize it, then relight gas appliances on a house-by-house basis. The company said that will take an estimated three to five days.
Avista personnel must have access to homes and other buildings in order to relight appliances, which could begin today (Fri) now that the rupture has been repaired.
According to the utility, the relighting must be done by an Avista service person, not the customer. An Avista technician must enter each home to do the relighting, but will only do so if an adult is present. If no one is home, Avista will leave a card that asks the customer to call to arrange the service. There is no cost associated with the relighting process.
