I’m beginning to gain a reputation, even outside of this newsletter, for noticing gas infrastructure.
During our home search in DC, I identified by smell, an extensive gas leak in a house that had been empty for a while, something our agent said had never happened to him before. Now, in the house we actually decided on, I often walk the same circuit out in the neighborhood to break up my day. On the walks, I kept noticing that a gas smell was wafting somewhere in front of a set of houses on our street. Intermittent, but definitely there. After about the fourth time, I called DC’s gas utility, Washington Gas, to report it.
It was a confusing call, where I had to clarify several times that I was not the homeowner where the leak was happening, and no, I didn’t have an exact address. If anything, the smell seemed to be stronger on the sidewalk, like it was coming from the street.
I immediately thought of HEET.