Pea Ridge, Arkansas
Thursday, February 18, 2021
5:03 p.m. CST Nearly all of the approximately 2300 homes and businesses that lost service on Monday have been restored, with less than 20 customers remaining. All affected customers have been contacted. Any customer who has not had gas restored should call Black Hills Energy at 888-890-5554 to schedule service to be restored. It is extremely important that customers do not attempt this themselves. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers as we worked to restore service.
3:30 p.m. CST Black Hills Energy technicians worked efficiently over the past three days and have accomplished a nearly full restoration of natural gas service to customers in the City of Pea Ridge. As of 1:00 p.m., nearly all of the approximately 2300 homes and businesses that lost service due to a loss of pressure on the Black Hills Energy system on Monday have been restored, with less than 20 customers remaining. All affected customers have been contacted. Any customer who has not had gas restored should call Black Hills Energy at 888-890-5556 to schedule service to be restored. It is extremely important that customers do not attempt this themselves.
8:23 a.m. CST By midnight Wednesday, Black Hills Energy technicians had restored natural gas service to more than 2000 customers in Pea Ridge. Work will continue this morning to relight the remaining customers who are without service. We thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we work to complete service restoration.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
8:00 p.m. CST Natural gas service has been restored for more than 70% of our customers in Pea Ridge. Our crews are continuing relight efforts this evening and a progress update will be provided in the morning. As a reminder, customers should not attempt to relight appliances on their own.
5:40 p.m. CST As we continue our service restoration efforts this evening, we’d like to remind you of the warming station that is open to Pea Ridge residents. It’s located at 1391 Weston Street in the Middle School. We’d like to thank the City of Pea Ridge Government for making their school facilities available for anyone who may need to warm up and for our team to use as a command center. We also want to give a shout out to Sheep Dog Impact Assistance for bringing drinks and blankets to stock up the warming station. Our technicians are working diligently to relight customers, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.
2:41 p.m. CST Mid-day update: Black Hills Energy restores natural gas service to 30% of Pea Ridge customers, work continues across city
1:40 p.m. CST Our technicians are working in 8 zones across the city, going house by house to do a first pass to restore service to as many customers as possible. We will work on scheduling those we missed once the first pass is complete. Service has been restored to nearly 30% of affected customers.
11:30 a.m. CST Service restoration is well underway and we’d like to remind our customers not to relight their appliances on their own. Our technicians have specialized equipment that can detect gas and identify safety concerns within the infrastructure and appliances, which is important to the overall safety of our customers and our system. These safety checks are important steps to safely restore natural gas service.
9:30 a.m. CST Additional Black Hills Energy employees from across Arkansas and surrounding states have joined the effort to expedite restoration of service to Pea Ridge customers. Customers can help by making sure someone 18 years of age is present in the residence today. Customers should not attempt to relight their appliances on their own.
8:45 a.m. CST Black Hills Energy works to restore natural gas service to Pea Ridge
7:15 a.m. CST Service restoration efforts have resumed for customers in Pea Ridge. Technicians are working safely and efficiently to complete customer relights as soon as possible. As part of the process, technicians will turn on meters, perform safety inspections and relight pilot lights. If customers are not home when technicians arrive, a door hanger will be left and customers will need to call 888-890-5554 to reschedule a relight of service.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
12:23 a.m. CST Technicians have repressurized the system and initiated the first customer relights. We will continue relights early Wednesday morning going door to door to turn on gas meters, perform safety inspections and relight pilot lights. Do not attempt to relight appliances on your own. Please be sure to have someone over 18 years of age present and all animals secure. We know winter weather is impacting the area and a warming station is available at 1391 Weston Street. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
10 p.m. CST Technicians have turned off the nearly 2,300 meters and are preparing to repressurize the system. Once it is safe to do so, Black Hills Energy technicians will begin working to relight customers.
7 p.m. CST Pea Ridge, Arkansas: Black Hills Energy technicians are going door to door to turn off meters. More than half of the meters have been turned off. Once the safety of the system has been confirmed, we’ll begin to relight customers. During the purging process a small amount of gas will safely dissipate into the air, but there is a possibility that residents will detect a faint gas smell. Natural gas has a distinct odor, similar to a rotten egg, due to the addition of a chemical called Mercaptan. The process is safe and Black Hills Energy technicians will be present during the process.
4:05 p.m. CST Black Hills Energy technicians are in the process of shutting off 2,300 gas meters in Pea Ridge, purging and pressure testing the system, and bringing natural gas customers back online following the service interruption that occurred earlier today.
“The process of bringing customers back on to the system requires several steps,” said Chad Kinsley, vice president of operations Black Hills Energy Arkansas. “We must first make sure all gas meters are off, then purge the system so it’s ready for the reintroduction of the natural gas supply. Finally, our technicians will go door-to-door and relight each customer’s gas appliances.”
Black Hills Energy technicians will be going door to door to turn off meters. We anticipate completing the meter turn-off process later tonight. Once the safety of the system has been confirmed, we’ll begin to relight customers.
During the purging process a small amount of gas will safely dissipate into the air, but there is a possibility that residents will detect a faint gas smell. Natural gas has a distinct odor, similar to a rotten egg, due to the addition of a chemical called Mercaptan. The process is safe and Black Hills Energy technicians will be present during the process.
Additional Black Hills Energy employees from across Arkansas and surrounding states are joining the effort to expedite restoration of service to Pea Ridge customers. In all, Black Hills Energy will have more than 80 technicians working to restore service to our customers.
A warming station for residents that was previously set up at 781 W Pickens Road in Pea Ridge has been relocated to 1391 Weston Street.
Black Hills Energy customers can assist in expediting the relighting efforts by clearing snow from and providing access to gas meters and restraining pets who may be on the premises. Additionally, it is required that someone over 18 years of age be present during the relighting process. If a customer is not home when the Black Hills Energy technicians arrive to relight, a door tag will be left with information on how to have service restored. Customers should not attempt to relight their appliances on their own. For customers who may be out of the area and whose homes or commercial buildings are not open at this time, please call the customer service center at 888-890-5554 to schedule a date and time to restore service.
Our technicians will be prepared to safely restore service by wearing appropriate PPE and asking COVID-19 screening questions before entering homes and businesses. Our technicians practice social distancing and closely follow all national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines regarding COVID-19, including wearing masks. Additionally, we ask that our customers also wear a mask while our technicians are in your home. Learn more about our COVID-19 precautions at www.blackhillsenergy.com.
10:11 a.m. CST This morning, Black Hills Energy responded to reports of no gas pressure from customers in Pea Ridge, Arkansas. After investigating, our technicians have determined that natural gas service has been temporarily interrupted for approximately 2300 Black Hills Energy customers. We are working to restore service for impacted customers, and are actively monitoring our system. Black Hills Energy is working with local officials and updates will be provided as information becomes available. A warming station for Pea Ridge residents has been set up at 781 W Pickens Road in Pea Ridge.
It is important that customers allow our highly skilled technicians to re-light their furnace and water heater pilot lights, and they don't attempt to re-light appliances on their own. We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our customers as we work to restore service in the area as quickly and safely as possible.
We are actively monitoring our system and have not detected any leaks. If you do smell natural gas, leave the building or area immediately and tell others to leave too.
- After you’re safely away from the area, call 911 or Black Hills Energy at 888-890-5554. Never assume someone else has reported a natural gas leak. Alert your neighbors.
- Do not turn on lights, ignite a flame, use a cell phone or use anything that might cause a spark, including a flashlight or a generator.
- Never attempt to repair a natural gas leak, and do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off.
For non-emergency requests, contact us online at blackhillsenergy.com or direct message us on Facebook and Twitter.