After Reporting Gas Smells on West Shore, Lakewood Resident Says Atmos Energy Response Was Admirable

Atmos Energy workers show a tank of odorant that is added to the natural gas that is pumped into homes and businesses. (Photo: Atmos Energy)

First off: Did you know that natural gas doesn’t really have a smell? An “odorant” is added to it before it’s pumped through the lines and into your home, giving it that well-known rotten egg smell. If you get a whiff of odorant, you should get out of your home and call 911, according to Atmos Energy, the natural gas provider for most of North Texas.

That’s been the routine for some people in Lakewood who have continued to catch whiffs of natural gas — sometimes strongly — both inside and outside of their homes. In some cases, Atmos would come out and peek around, but said that a leak couldn’t be detected.

When Lakewood resident Cydney Roach smelled gas one morning, she thought her senses were playing tricks on her. The smell quickly dissipated throughout the day, so it couldn’t be natural gas, right?

That’s what she thought, until she read our story on Megan Anderson:

Thanks to your article, I now have an Atmos crew on site at my place to repair what they quickly found to be a leaky gas main.  I called Atmos at noon today [Saturday] and within an hour they had someone here to inspect. He detected a dangerous leak that warranted immediate repairs. He called a full team in to address the problem and they are currently digging up the street to fix the pipe.

According to Roach, the crew was working to fix the gas main until the early hours, about 3 a.m., she said:

They dug a huge pit in the alley by my house with a backhoe to reach the gas main. They explained every step of the work to me so I wouldn’t worry. I think my initial call was around noon and by 2pm the crew was digging. They worked straight thru to resolution — about 3am. There was not even an interruption to my gas service. They were so helpful that I offered then some Valentine chocolates. They filled in the hole in the alley with a temporary material and said they would repave the area within the next 2-3 weeks.

If you smell gas outside or inside your home, you can call the Atmos emergency line like Roach did: 1 (866)322-8667.

Are you still smelling gas in your neighborhood?