Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. has identified the source of water that impacted the natural gas system in a portion of the City of Newburgh, now found to be caused by an improperly installed residential water heater by a non-Central Hudson contractor. The incident began on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 21, affecting 82 homes and buildings along Palantine Ave., Kennedy Place and Dupont Ave. Central Hudson worked with city officials overnight to identify the source of the infiltration and remove water from the natural gas lines. The incident did not cause a natural gas leak, and there is no hazard.

Gas service has been restored to 13 homes, however utility crews continue to remove a large volume of water from the gas mains. Service restoration to some of the remaining homes and buildings is expected to begin tonight. However, due to the time-consuming nature of this work, gas service will not be restored to all affected homes today, and will continue on Thursday.  For those households, an overnight warming center at the Newburgh Armory Larkin Center, located at 321 South Williams Street, will be available. Residents should also take steps to prevent frozen pipes in their homes by opening faucets to allow water to drip, and opening cabinet doors where water pipes run through.

When gas service is restored, utility workers will require access to each home and building to inspect interior piping and safely relight natural gas heaters and appliances. In some cases, gas meters may be replaced. Residents will be asked to remain at home or to make arrangements to have a responsible adult present to allow entry when informed that service restoration will be performed. Central Hudson representatives carry identification and will show it upon request.

“We appreciate the patience of our customers as we work to restore natural gas service, and thank the City of Newburgh, the Orange County Office of Emergency Management, the New York State Office of Emergency Management and the Red Cross for their assistance as we worked to address this incident,” said Paul. E. Haering, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations.

For more information, visit www.CentralHudson.com.

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