Delmarva Power manages more than 3,600 miles of natural gas lines to deliver safe and reliable service for 136,000 customers in New Castle County, Delaware. Over the last five years, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our system to maintain safe and reliable service and continue to meet growing demand for natural gas. These investments include conducting regular inspections, performing preventive maintenance, modernizing existing natural gas lines as needed and installing new natural gas lines across our service area.
For larger projects, we work to minimize impacts to the local area and provide advance notice to customers about upcoming work. We also coordinate closely with state and local officials, including water and sewer replacement programs and street rehabilitation and paving programs in the City of Wilmington and other local municipalities. If you have questions about a project in your area, please contact Customer Care at 800-375-7117 or e-mail GasEngineering@Delmarva.com.
The overall modernization of our natural gas delivery system in northern Delaware is a core component of our commitment to providing safe and reliable natural gas service for our customers. Through this initiative we are replacing our aging natural gas infrastructure, including cast-iron and bare-steel main and service line. Each year, we modernize more than five miles of natural gas mains across our service area, replacing them with new plastic pipe which enhances safety, is more durable, and improves reliability. Plastic pipe is now the principal material used for natural gas systems because it does not corrode and is strong and flexible to ground movement.
Since beginning this comprehensive modernization effort in 2006, we have replaced more than two-thirds of our cast-iron and bare-steel natural gas mains. Based on our current schedule, we will have replaced the remaining cast-iron and bare-steel mains by 2027, five years ahead of the original schedule.
