Natural Gas Line Replacements in Minnetonka
Overview
Below are CenterPoint Energy’s anticipated natural gas line replacements in Minnetonka in 2024. Please check this web page throughout this season or subscribe to email or text message updates in the “Sign up for updates in Minnetonka” link below. If you contact CenterPoint Energy about them, please reference their work order numbers (listed below). Thank you for your patience as we replace our infrastructure!
Project resources
Willowood Drive and nearby streets (109332213) – gas work from Monday, Sept. 23 into late October/early November 2024
As of 11/19/2024, all gas main and associated service line work has been completed. CenterPoint's restoration contractor, Q3, has been working in the area to restore roads, sidewalks, boulevards, and lawns.
Due to the colder temperatures, Q3's crews will perform temporary restoration efforts on remaining affected areas with permanent solutions to come in the spring and summer of 2025 as weather conditions allow.
Sidewalks receive temporary asphalt, allowing for safe snow removal and transportation throughout the cold months. In the spring, permanent concrete restoration will occur as temperatures are warmer.
To control winter erosion on boulevards and lawns, holes are backfilled with dirt and covered with straw matting. In 2025, black dirt, grass seed and biodegradable netting will replace the temporary work done this fall. This practice promotes effective grass growth come spring.
CenterPoint Energy’s authorized contractors
Equix Integrity updates our records on the locations of sewer lines in relation to natural gas lines. A natural gas contractor will replace natural gas mains, move inside meters to the outside of homes, and replace or reconnect service lines as needed. Q3 Contracting will restore the areas affected by the gas contractor’s work. There will be no assessment or cost associated with our work.
Marking utilities
CenterPoint Energy will contact Gopher State One Call 811 to locate public underground utilities such as water, sewer, and cable. You will see markings such as spray paint and utility flags. They will be color-coordinated to indicate a separate utility.
If you have installed any private lines such as sprinklers or dog fences, we ask that you mark them with whatever material is convenient for you. Examples include spray paint, flags, and wooden sticks used to stir paint. Marking sprinkler heads is sufficient.
Small-diameter plastic main
The crew typically bores the small-diameter plastic main underneath one side of the road. Please keep in mind that some intersections may not be permanently restored until after the service line work is done. After all customers’ service lines are transferred to the new main, the crew can connect the new main to the existing intersecting mains and put the new main into service. Then the restoration crew will permanently restore these areas. Until then, customers may see temporary backfill such as dirt or gravel. We thank you for your patience!
Service line and meter work
The customer will receive a CenterPoint Energy postcard in the mail describing the project before the natural gas crews perform the work. The crews will have CenterPoint Energy-authorized photo IDs. After the customer receives the postcard, the technician will arrive at the customer’s house to schedule an appointment that typically meets with the customer’s schedule. If the customer isn’t home when they arrive, they will leave a door tag with their contact information to schedule an appointment with them.
One natural gas crew typically works on about one block per week. They will either fully replace the service line or reconnect it to the new main, depending on the line’s age. For most properties, the crews excavate a hole by the outside meter and another in the boulevard and bore the service line from the sidewalk to the house.
For inside meters, the crew will make a two- to three-hour appointment at a time that works with the resident. We encourage customers to work with the crew on where they want the meter to go, keeping limitations in mind such as a minimum of three feet away from areas such as windows, doors, and vents. Customers with outside meters will be notified prior to the replacement or connection of the service lines to the new mains.
The technician will access the natural gas meter inside the house, move the meter outside, and relight the natural gas appliance pilot lights after the new meter has been relocated.
