The Southern California Gas Co. this week began a $3.4 million valve replacement and upgrade project at a natural gas valve station in Littlerock.
According to the utility, the enhancements “will include the installation of a new mainline valve with automatic shut-off and remote control capability, and upgrades to an existing mainline valve.”
The work is expected to continue through February, but is not expected to cause natural gas service disruptions to the local communities of Littlerock, Sun Village or Palmdale, according to SoCalGas.
Though no roads closures will occur during the construction project, people driving by the work site may see excavation, equipment and vehicles and nearby communities may also hear some work-related noise and notice an occasional natural gas odor, according to the utility.
Those with questions or concerns about the valve upgrade project can call the SoCalGas Customer Contact Center at (800) 427-2200.
The work is part of the utility’s multibillion-dollar Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan (PSEP) to test and update the region’s 101,000 miles of natural gas pipelines, and upgrade, replace or retrofit hundreds of mainline valves in the system with automatic shut-off technology.
Automatic shut-off valves are equipped with a control device that automatically shuts off the flow of natural gas in the event of a large pressure drop. The valves also provide routine pressure control to safeguard against exceeding the pipeline’s maximum pressure.
PSEP was designed to meet directives established by the California Public Utilities Commission to enhance public and pipeline safety.
SoCalGas came under some criticism earlier this year for failing to have a working underground shut-off valve for a pipeline that ruptured at the Aliso Canyon storage facility near Porter Ranch. That rupture led to a four-month natural gas leak that became the largest of its type in U.S. history.
