Lana Bellamy

lBellamy@th-record.com

CITY OF NEWBURGH - Natural gas service had been restored to 48 homes on the west end of the City of Newburgh as of about 5 p.m. Thursday after a service disruption Tuesday left about 80 homes and buildings without gas, said John Maserjian, a spokesman for Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.

"We hope to make additional progress this evening, depending upon the success crews have in clearing the main lines," Maserjian said.

City Manager Joe Donat said initial reports of gas service outages affected more than 100 homes and buildings, but that the number of service interruptions was fluid when repairs began.

A contractor not affiliated with Central Hudson improperly installed a heater that caused water to infiltrate the natural gas mains and block the flow of natural gas in the area, officials said on Wednesday.

Progress on restoring service has been slow because of the complicated nature of removing water from the gas lines. Maserjian noted the slightly warmer weather toward the end of this week has helped thaw some of the frozen water in the lines.

Maserjian said CenHud crews are re-establishing and reconnecting gas service at individual homes as they go along.

He advised residents to let faucets trickle and open cabinets to prevent water pipes from freezing until gas service and heat is restored in their homes.

CenHud representatives made door-to-door visits Thursday offering electric space heaters for residents choosing to stay in their homes. Maserjian said residents can call 845-452-2700 to inquire about a heater.

lbellamy@th-record.com