Gas Leak Disrupts Heating and Hot Water Supply in North Idaho, Thousands Affected
A gas leak has caused widespread disruptions across North Idaho, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without heat and hot water. Avista Utilities, a leading provider of electric and natural gas in the area, reported that a gas pipeline was struck and damaged on Wednesday, resulting in the loss of service for customers in multiple cities and towns.
Avista, on its website, stated that customers in Pullman, Moscow, Albion, Palouse, Uniontown, Colton, Genesee, Troy, Bovill, Deary, Asotin, Lewiston, and Clarkston may be impacted for several days. The affected pipeline is owned by Williams Pipeline, a third-party provider of gas to Avista.
Repair works on the damaged pipeline are currently underway by Williams Pipeline, and Avista cannot proceed with the relight process until these repairs are complete, as confirmed by the company. In the meantime, Avista’s crews are visiting each customer’s gas meter to manually turn them off for safety purposes until the pipeline is fixed. This precautionary measure ensures the well-being of residents until the repairs are fully carried out.
Local businesses are witnessing a surge in demand for portable heaters as residents scramble to find alternative heating solutions amid the outage. The Moscow-Pullman News reported that stocks of portable heaters quickly sold out due to increasing demand.
The gas leak accident has severely impacted businesses in Moscow, as most buildings in the city rely on natural gas for heating. To mitigate the situation, all non-essential business offices were closed on Thursday, following an announcement by the city of Moscow. With the exception of the Police Services Facility, which uses electric heat pumps, there are no other viable heating options available for these buildings.
As a result, city offices are expected to remain closed until Monday, with Friday being observed as Veterans Day. The University of Idaho has also taken necessary measures, canceling classes and closing nonessential offices for the rest of the week.
The impact has extended to the education sector as well, with schools in the Moscow, Lewiston, Whitepine, Genesee, and Troy school districts closing on Thursday due to a lack of heat and other essential utilities. The Moscow Superintendent, Shawn Tiegs, explained in a letter to staff and parents that the absence of heating systems, cooking systems, and dishwashing facilities, alongside other reasons, would hinder effective learning for students.
The gas leak incident has undoubtedly caused significant inconvenience and discomfort for residents and businesses in North Idaho. Authorities are working diligently to repair the damaged gas pipeline and restore services as quickly as possible. Until then, affected individuals are advised to make necessary arrangements for alternative heating sources and continue to follow updates from Avista Utilities for the latest information on the progress of repairs.
