UPDATED: Gas service to campus restored

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: The campus has received notification from PG&E that it has initiated changes to its equipment and restored normal, natural-gas service to the campus, and that the campus may now restart its central plant boilers. Facilities Management and Utilities have begun the restoration of normal steam and heating services to campus facilities. This process will take several hours, with full restoration of heating systems expected by midnight. The use of all other gas-fired equipment on campus may resume immediately.

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UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: PG&E engineers are continuing to work on analyzing the problem and bypassing the affected area. Campus facility managers are working with campus units to maintain essential functions, and preparing to restart the central heating plant and get the steam heat system back to normal campuswide.

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Today (Dec. 19) UC Davis is experiencing low pressure in the natural gas supply across the Davis campus, caused by an unknown problem in the feed from Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Utility workers detected the problem early today. The exact scope and nature of the problem had not yet been determined.

PG&E is urgently working to restore normal service. The campus community is advised that gas-fired equipment may not run properly under these low-pressure conditions.

Due to the loss of pressure to heating plants, steam systems have been taken offline, affecting the heat across the central campus and in the California National Primate Research Center district.

The plants are in the process of switching to backup fuel supplies. Several hours may be needed to restore steam pressure and normal heating.

Natural gas is used for space heating, water heaters, autoclaves and cage-washing equipment. Please limit nonessential gas use until further notice.

Facilities Maintenance will work directly with campus customers in efforts to mitigate any critical issues resulting from these circumstances. Customers with urgent issues should contact the Customer Support Center, (530) 752-1655.

Updates will be posted here as they become available.

Media Resources

Dave Jones, Dateline, 530-752-6556, dljones@ucdavis.edu

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