Saveway Construction Enterprises crew digging up street and cutting new gas pipes in Waverly Place, Greenwich Village, NYC.
Public officials and engineers have long warned about the dangers posed by the outdated, moldering pipelines that snake beneath the streets of major cities like New York, feeding gas into the furnaces of millions of homes.
For nearly two decades, federal authorities have directed pipeline operators to replace these leak-prone, cast-iron lines with pipes made of plastic and other modern materials. And many states, including New York, have embarked on programs to do just that.
But these efforts could take decades to complete, and in the meantime, weakened pipes could spring deadly leaks.
This possibility and the need for repairs have come into sharp focus in the aftermath of an explosion that tore apart two buildings in Manhattan one morning, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more.
Pipe layer pipe fitting or pipe fitting is the occupation of installing or repairing piping or tubing systems that convey liquid, gas, and occasionally solid materials. This work involves selecting and preparing pipe or tubing, joining it together by various means, and the location and repair of leaks.