Longboat gas line cut in Emerald Harbor

Contractors digging in Emerald Harbor accidentally cut a gas line on Tuesday, delaying work on the $3 million infrastructure project, according to town officials.

The incident prompted response from the Longboat Key Police and Fire Rescue departments, town staff who sealed the gas leak within 30 minutes of arriving at the scene. The line was cut on Binnacle Point Drive around 3:23 p.m. Tuesday, said Deputy Fire Chief Chris Krajic.

“We clenched it right off,” Krajic said. “We got it done pretty quick.”

No injuries were reported.

Longboat Key began a more than $3 million infrastructure project in the past month to replace all sewer and water lines in Emerald Harbor as part of the town’s effort to renew aging infrastructure on the island.

Once all the pipe is laid, the town will resurface the roads in what it anticipates to be a year long project.

Funding for this project came during an annual budget process years ago when the town earmarked money from its utilities and streets funds for the work. Water and sewer fees supply the utilities fund — the streets fund comes from gas taxes.

The pipes that are in the ground already are made of metal, a material that corrodes with saltwater that often seeps into Emerald Harbor’s watertable, said Utilities Manager Bert Warner.

The corroded metal pipes are being replaced with plastic pipes that are resistant to the corrosive properties of saltwater, Warner said.