Mercury Service Regulator Replacement Program (MSRRP)

Thank you for being a customer of Washington Gas. Washington Gas needs to perform a regulatory required mercury regulator survey on company-owned facilities located at your address. A Heath Consultants employee, a third-party contractor working on behalf of Washington Gas, will need to access your property to perform a survey of the company-owned gas regulator, natural gas pipes and other natural gas equipment located on your property, up to and including the meter*. Heath Consultants will need access to the gas meter at your home. Any gates and/or fences on your property must be unlocked. All Washington Gas employees and third-party contractors carry company identification badges.

 

  

 

What this means for you

Please contact Heath Consultants at wgsurvey@heathus.com or 301-709-8210 between 7:00 am and 3:30 pm weekdays to schedule an appointment to have this survey completed. Please be advised that our Heath Consultants technicians have been instructed to continue to conduct the required regulator surveys without appointments at this time.

If you are not home when a technician arrives at your home a drop card with contact information and instructions will be left at your door to either schedule or reschedule an appointment directly with Heath Consultants. These appointments typically last approximately 15 minutes and are at no cost to you, the customer. While we strive to perform this work in a way that is most convenient for you, federal regulations require customers to provide access to the company-owned gas meter and service lines at all reasonable hours for routine maintenance and always for emergency purposes.

  

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for being a valued Washington Gas customer.

What you can do to help

Can Washington Gas help me identify if I have a mercury regulator?

Yes, we have set up a special email box to help customers get assistance in identifying whether they have a mercury regulator. Customers need to do the following: 

1. Take a picture of the gas equipment (meter set and regulator) and email it to: regulators@washgas.com. Customers should include their name, address, contact telephone number and email address.
2. Our operations team will review the photograph and respond to the customers to let them know if they have a mercury regulator within 3 to 5 days.
3. If we confirm that a customer does not have a mercury regulator, we will notify the customer via email.
4. If we determine that a customer does have a mercury regulator, customers will be advised to schedule the mandatory replacement with the contractor.

 

MERCURY REGULATOR FACT SHEET

Washington Gas is systematically replacing mercury service regulators across its jurisdictions. This type of service regulator, while an older vintage, operates as safely and effectively as other regulators across the system. The primary reason to remove these service regulators is to eliminate mercury from our environment.

 

Which customers are likely to have mercury regulators?

 As part of Washington Gas’ program to replace mercury service regulators, Washington Gas will need to inspect meter locations at homes and apartment buildings throughout its system to determine the location of the remaining mercury service regulators. Only a small subset of our customers is likely to have a mercury regulator—less than 10 percent. These regulators were mainly installed in the 1950s and 60s, therefore, it is unlikely that any home built after 1970 has a mercury service regulator

 

 How do I determine if I have a mercury regulator?

 Mercury-sealed regulators can be identified easily. They are always positioned horizontally to contain the liquid mercury content. The mercury cup is unique to these regulators.

   

Is my service regulator safe?

Yes. Service regulators—whether they contain mercury or not—are an extremely safe and reliable part of the natural gas delivery system to your home. They help regulate the flow of gas into your home appliances. In the exceedingly rare instance when gas may leak, you will notice the smell of rotten eggs. Should this happen, please call 911 and 844-WASHGAS and we will perform a service call.

 

Does a mercury regulator pose any danger to my family or pets?

No. The small amount of mercury is safely contained with the service regulator. As long as it is not tampered with, or improperly removed by unqualified individuals, there is no increased risk of danger or exposure for you, your family or your pets. Do not allow anyone who is not a Washington Gas employee or a qualified Washington Gas contractor to remove or relocate your regulator.

 

Why is Washington Gas replacing mercury regulators?

As Washington Gas upgrades its infrastructure through replacement activities, meters and service regulators are also inspected. Mercury service regulators are often replaced when encountered during this work.  The replacement of these regulators is driven by the fact that they contain a small amount of mercury as part of each unit’s safety system. The mercury is safely contained within the service regulator as long as it is not tampered with, or improperly removed by unqualified individuals.