10 Jul 2023
The Park Street community pulled together to cope with a major gas emergency which left 2,000 homes without a supply – some for over a week.
The village lost its supply after a burst water main flooded the gas network, blocking the flow of gas into various properties.
Every home had to be switched off before gas company Cadent could begin pumping the thousands of litres of water out of the system, and they brought in workers from as far away as Manchester to work around the clock in order to restore the supply, including periods in torrential rain.
Engineers later called at every home that had been affected to carry out essential safety checks and safely turn gas appliances back on.
A spokesperson from the company posted on social media: “What has become clear to us, as temporary residents of Park Street, is that you are a wonderful, resilient community.
“Despite the circumstances you found yourselves in, you’ve been incredibly supportive of our team, and we can’t thank you enough for that.”
Residents have had nothing but praise for Cadent.
Brad Thompson told the St Albans Times: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Cadent for their exceptional support and organisational efforts during the recent gas cut out in Park Street.
“Cadent demonstrated an outstanding commitment to providing timely updates, ensuring the urgent care of vulnerable individuals, and supplying essential resources such as portable stoves, heaters, and food vouchers. Their collaboration with local leisure centers to facilitate access to hot water was commendable, and their prompt and friendly service was highly appreciated by all.
“Undoubtedly, the task of working tirelessly, under pressure, and being away from their families must have been tremendously challenging for the Cadent team. Nevertheless, they consistently went above and beyond their responsibilities to assist every single person affected by the situation. Their unwavering dedication reflects the utmost credit upon Cadent. Finding yourself in such a situation is neither commonplace nor desirable, but I must emphasize that the Cadent workers made the entire ordeal significantly more manageable, alleviating potential difficulties by a considerable degree.”
Villagers also posted on the Park Street People & Places Facebook page to thank the company’s efforts, which included providing electric hobs for residents to use, and directing them to leisure centres where they could shower for free.
Melissa Seeneevassen said: “The hours of utter hard work you guys have put in has been incredible!”
Olivia Bucci posted: “The Cadent guys were helpful and polite and did an amazing job.”
Kate Grant, Cadent’s network director for the east of England, explained what had happened: “On Thursday June 29 there was a burst water main in the Park Street area which resulted in water entering into the local gas network, blocking the flow of gas into properties. Our teams were immediately dispatched to the area and we worked tirelessly to restore the gas network to residents and ensure our most vulnerable customers were cared for.
“I would like to say a big thank you to the residents of Park Street for their understanding while we responded to the water ingress incident in the area. We’ve had engineers from across the country come to Park Street to restore gas to their properties. We have been blown away by the positive messages on social media and the feedback from local residents.
“While this incident is now coming to an end, there are still a handful of properties that we have not been able to gain access to despite multiple visits. We need to safely restore gas to these properties and we have left details about how residents can contact us.
“Please DO NOT try to restore your own supply. It is not safe for you to do so. Our engineers need to complete their safety checks, and make sure there is no water in your gas meter or gas appliance before they are able to switch on the gas.”
