Channel 9 noticed a large number of gas leaks lately and after some digging confirmed a 40% increase in leaks caused by work crews.
“It was actually coming into the windows it was so bad. It was a very strong smell,” said resident Ann Marvin Griffiths.
Griffiths said she was at home in Matthews last week when a work crew struck a natural gas line near her home. She told Channel 9 all she could think about was an explosion that leveled a house in Ballantyne this summer.
This spring, a work crew in Durham hit a gas line and caused an explosion that destroyed several buildings.
“Whenever there is an accident that releases natural gas, anything that causes a spark could potentially ignite that natural gas,” said Jennifer Sharpe with Piedmont Natural Gas. Numbers Channel 9 requested from PNG show work crews caused 553 gas leaks from January through August of last year.