Elizabeth: Snapshot of natural gas leaks under city streets
Leaked natural gas – mostly methane – is a powerful contributor to climate change.
Explore Elizabeth map data
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Findings
Our readings indicated an average of about one leak for every 1.7 miles we drove within the study area.
Readings are from April 2016 through January 2017. This map represents a snapshot in time, and may not reflect current leaks due to repairs or other changes since then.
Note: Roads driven outside shaded regions of the map are not part of the Elizabethtown Gas service areas.
Most leaks don’t pose an immediate threat to safety or health, but some can. We have shared all data with Elizabethtown Gas, including any recorded leak points observed outside designated drive areas shown on the map.
If you ever smell gas, or have any reason to suspect a problem, experts say to immediately exit the building or area, then call the authorities. For more see the Elizabethtown Gas safety page.
About Elizabeth's natural gas infrastructure
- Utility: Elizabeth, New Jersey is serviced by Elizabethtown Gas.
- Pipe materials: Over 400 miles of mains operated by Elizabethtown Gas are made from cast iron or other leak-prone material.
- Age of pipes: About 31% of Elizabethtown Gas mains were installed before 1970.
- Progress: From 2016 to 2018, Elizabethtown Gas reduced its leak prone pipeline mileage by 17%.
Elizabethtown Gas recently agreed to integrate advanced leak detection technology to prioritize leak prone pipe replacement based on leak size, after considering safety and other factors.
This agreement was approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) on June 12, 2019. Elizabethtown Gas is the first New Jersey utility to formally adopt and integrate ALD+ into its day to day operations and decision making as it implements its $300 million, five-year Infrastructure Investment Program.