PG&E will begin replacing 2,000 feet of natural gas distribution line on Monday in the area of Stonegate subdivision that has experienced the highest concentration of leaks since 2006.

PG&E has reported finding about 50 leaks in the West Davis neighborhood over the past few years, mostly due to the deterioration of Aldyl-A pipe, which runs under most of the community.

PG&E will work on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and expects to complete the project by early May.

Crews will dig out sections of the main distribution line under the street and the service lines that carry the gas up to customers’ homes using a boring process that, according to PG&E, will minimize damage to streets and private property.

“There will be sections where we dig into the ground, which allows us to bore through the ground, underground,” PG&E representative Brittany McKannay said Saturday. “Rather than having the road excavated, we’re able to create that hole for the pipe underground.

“Customers can expect to see crews out in the area and we will have machinery out there. We have made sure that we’re communicating with customers so they know that we’re doing all the work in the safest and most efficient manner possible.”

PG&E will use two-inch polyethylene plastic pipe to replace the main lines and one-inch pipe of the same vintage for the service lines.

The replacement project will take place under the following streets:

* Marina Circle between Secret Bay Street and Biscayne Bay Place

* Chesapeake Bay Avenue, east from Secret Bay Street until the road ends

* Magellan Street between Chesapeake Bay Avenue and Marina Circle

* Secret Bay Street between Marina Circle and Chesapeake Bay Avenue

* The intersection of Biscayne Bay Place and Marina Circle

View PG&E Stonegate Replacement Project in a larger map

According to McKannay, the replacement project should not interrupt gas service.

“(Also) if for some reason it does need to be interrupted, we’ll work with the customers individually so they know how long their service will be out and how quickly it will be restored,” McKannay said.

According to PG&E, part of the replacement work will take place on private property and those affected by the work will be personally contacted before it begins.

“At the end of the project, PG&E will refinish roadway surfaces and work with property owners to restore landscaping,” read a letter from PG&E  to customers in the area.

PG&E also says they will have to vent the gas into the atmosphere in order to safely work on replacing the lines. During this time residents should expect to hear a loud steady noise.

“(Customers) might smell gas in the area and, of course, if they do, they’re welcome to call us if they have concerns,” McKannay said.

According to Davis fire Chief Bill Weisgerber, the fire department won’t be directly involved with the work, but the city will keep an eye on the project as it moves forward.

Also, Public Works will inspect the work PG&E performs in the neighborhood.

“PGE will keep the Fire Department apprised of the work in progress, as they would for any construction project and have done throughout the Stonegate series of events,” Weisgerber said.

“Meanwhile, as always, residents should immediately call 9-1-1 if they think they smell gas. The Davis Fire Department is trained and ready to respond for an emergency.”

Aldyl-A makes up the majority of the natural gas distribution line pipe that runs underneath Stonegate. However, to date, PG&E has made no plans to replace other sections of the pipe.

For more information about the project, contact Rebecca Brandt, PG&E area manager, at (530) 757-5228. For more details about the natural gas system, visit www.pge.com/gas.

— Reach Tom Sakash at [email protected] or (530) 747-8057. Follow him on Twitter @TomSakash.

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