New York City is a pretty old city. Sure, we have tons of new buildings going up each and every year, and it seems like the city is in a constant state of construction and updates, but what about what's happening beneath our city streets?
Unfortunately, there's not too much going on, but there really could be.
According to CBS New York, the infrastructure that transports our city's natural gas is staggeringly susceptible to leaks and explosions due to outdated and decaying gas mains.
Natural gas expert, Mark McDonald, stated "[that] infrastructure is way past its service life, which is dangerous."
The thousands of miles of this city's gas mains were developed in the early 1900s, and have remained relatively untouched for years.
Kimberly Archie, a documentary maker who's friend lost her Northern California home due to a gas line explosion, stated "[you] can have a ticking time bomb under your house and you don't even know it."
Though the infrastructure has been around since the early 20th century, Con Edison only began replacing the mains (around 65 miles a year) in 2014. They expect to increase that number to around 100 miles of mains a year in the future.
PSEG stated that they have also been performing replacements to the decaying mains, and look to begin replacing mains at a rate of 510 miles a year.
[anad]
Unfortunately, a lot of people believe that these replacements aren't being done fast enough... especially since the process to detect faulty infrastructure is as simple as driving a specialized truck down the streets, a process that happens only once to thirteen times a year.
For many neighborhoods, the chances of a leak are pretty slim, but those who live in older parts, such as the Bronx, could be at greater risk to a gas leak.
Whether or not you reside in an old neighborhood, you may want to pick up a gas detector for your apartment or house to alert you to a potential leak.
Check out CBS2's news report on faulty gas mains below.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]