Xcel Energy replaces faulty gas pipe parts in Fargo

After replacing a flawed brand of natural gas pipe in the Fargo area, Xcel Energy Inc. is digging up some of the same yards to fix a newly installed and potentially defective pipe connector.

Spokeswoman Bonnie Lund says the work affects about 230 customers in Fargo, along with a few in West Fargo and some in the Minnesota cities of Moorhead and Dilworth.

She says repairs began Nov. 30 and should wrap up by the end of the year. Xcel will patch up the boulevards, sidewalks and driveways until they can be permanently restored in the spring.

The potentially defective parts connect a home's individual service line to the natural gas main. Xcel used the parts when replacing Century Utility Products pipe, which was installed from 1971 to 1977, as well as in some new construction areas. Xcel decided to replace all Century pipe in North Dakota after it was found to be a factor in a September 2008 natural gas explosion that leveled a Fargo home. ---

Information from: The Fargo Forum