Heat back on for Lawrence homeowners

Most of the 322 customers who lost heat Monday night because of a gas main leak in Lawrence were restored to service by Tuesday afternoon, a National Grid spokeswoman said.

Service had been restored to all but 28 residential customers by 2 p.m., Wendy Ladd said. The leak also affected 78 commercial accounts, she said, all of which had service restored by Tuesday afternoon.

Service was not restored to 28 homes because those residents were not home when workers came by to turn on valves and light pilot lights, Ladd said. Notices were left at the homes, giving customers information on how to get their service restored, she said.

The 322 residential and commercial customers lost their gas service after a valve snapped Monday at about 4 p.m. as workers did maintenance on a line in Lawrence, Ladd said.

The valve was fixed at about 11 p.m., but many homeowners - including Carol Scholl, 80, of Meadowmere Park - went without heat overnight.

"I just wore my robe and pajamas and climbed under the quilt with flannel sheets," Scholl said. "It wasn't too bad. It was about 55 degrees inside."

Scholl said her gas service was restored just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. "I had told them to make it early, because I had a doctor's appointment," she said, "so they got here and got the heat back on for me."

National Grid workers had to turn off supply valves at each home affected by the break, and then also went to homes after the repair was made to turn the valves back on and relight pilot lights to gas appliances.

More than half the customers had their service restored by Tuesday morning.

Homes still without gas service can call the National Grid emergency number, 800-930-5003.

With Jim Staubitser