MLGW Celebrates Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day March 18

Memphis Light, Gas and Water and other natural gas utilities will observe national Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day on Monday, March 18. It’s a day when communities such as Memphis and Shelby County offer recognition and gratitude to employees who work to provide natural gas service safely and reliably to area homes and businesses. MLGW would like to thank and honor our natural gas workers for their hard work and dedication to safety.

The annual nationwide event is intended to build public awareness about the hard work done by the employees of natural gas utilities. March 18 is the date of the New London, Texas school explosion in 1937 that led to the widespread odorization of natural gas with the odorant mercaptan and an increased emphasis on gas safety. Safety is a vital aspect to natural gas distribution and the employees of distribution companies endeavor to make natural gas delivery as safe as possible.

A continuing major project MLGW’s natural gas employees have been working on since 1992 is the Division’s 30-year natural gas cast iron pipe retrofit program. MLGW has spent nearly $90 million on this project over the past 27 years to replace more than 330 miles of cast iron pipes with polyethylene or steel pipes. It is scheduled to be completed in 2021. The retrofit program improves natural gas safety for the public and reinforces our infrastructure for MLGW’s future natural gas service reliability and integrity, and for earthquake mitigation.

“We dedicate this Monday to celebrate the exceptional work our natural gas utility workers do every day in Memphis, Shelby County and across the country,” said Alonzo Weaver, MLGW Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “MLGW and our customers depend on our natural gas workers to deliver reliable, affordable, and most importantly, safe natural gas service. Safety is a vital aspect of natural gas delivery, and our MLGW gas employees put safety first every day. They deserve a day to be recognized for their hard work, dedication and accomplishments. We all offer a huge ‘Thank you!’ to our natural gas workers!”

MLGW works hard to continue to provide customers with safe, affordable and reliable natural gas for their homes and businesses. We also hope customers will join MLGW in supporting natural gas as a premier energy source for our country. As the cleanest burning fossil fuel, natural gas can help us achieve energy security and build a more competitive economy.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of natural gas and how your public natural gas system works, contact MLGW Corporate Communications at (901) 528-4557.