Xcel gas line inspections complete; no other problems found

Xcel Energy says it has completed a preliminary survey of sewer lines in homes around the scene of a natural gas explosion in St. Paul last week.

A drain auger hit a gas line that was run through the sewer pipe running from a home to the street. The resulting leak let gas through the plumbing and into the home, where it ignited.

Xcel installed gas service lines in the neighborhood nearly 20 years ago with a drill, instead of digging a trench from the surface. State officials feared more gas lines may have been accidentally run through sewers and ordered inspections.

Xcel spokesman Bill Kaphing said they didn't find any more problems.

"We completed checking the sewer laterals in that particular area and we did not find any conflicts with our facilities at all," Kaphing said. "There are still two locations where we need to do further investigation, either dig them up, or try a different type of camera to confirm."

Kaphing said Xcel has no immediate plans to expand the inspections.

The office of pipeline safety has asked the company to list every gas installation in the state similar to the one that blew up. It was the second such explosion in St. Paul in the last 10 years.

It isn't clear how many more homes may need to be inspected, state and company officials say. Xcel believes most of the installations are in the east metro area.