FRANKLIN, MASS. (WHDH) - Columbia Gas has shut off service to more than 30 homes in Franklin due to a problem that was encountered during a leak repair on Tuesday, officials said.
Crews are expected to work through the night to restore service to 32 homes near Scholfield Drive and Richard Lane, according to the utility company.
Workers went door-to-door with a Franklin police officer, a representative from Columbia Gas, and a locksmith because each home needs to be entered so service can be cut off at gas meters.
Neighbor residents say the issue immediately made them think about the series of explosions and fires that rocked the Merrimack Valley in Sept. 2018. The disaster was blamed on an overpressurized gas line.
“I asked all sorts of questions,” Achille Cardillo told 7NEWS. “You feel always uncomfortable because you know what happened to the other three towns.”
Columbia Gas told 7’s Justin Dougherty that Franklin operates on a different kind of system than North Andover, Andover, and Lawrence.
The leak was first reported about a month ago but crews on Tuesday discovered it was necessary to shut off service to effectively make repairs.
The company said restoration efforts could take several hours.
When repairs are done, crews will again need to go door-to-door to turn the gas back on.
ONGOING: Columbia Gas crews working on gas line in Franklin. #7News https://t.co/gnNQYCs1lW
— Justin Dougherty (@DoughertyJC) June 11, 2019
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