Call to check meter boxes after scare | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Rotorua residents are being warned to check their gas connections after a high-pressure leak at a Glenholme house.

Retiree David Nicol said the noise from the leak on Tuesday was like standing next to a passenger plane.

There are about 3600 customers connected to the Vector gas distribution network in Rotorua.

Mr Nicol said he was on the roof of his Sophia St home clearing out the spouting.

"There were some weeds, I pulled them out - I don't know if it disrupted it or not but it went off with a bang," he said.

"It was quite frightening and made me jump. I was right beside it and it was like standing next to a Boeing 757.

"It was quite unbelievable. All the neighbours came out - you could hear it from about 20 metres away. It wouldn't do any harm to check [your own meter box]."

The meter box, which was over the broken pipe, had been pushed from the wall by an agapanthus plant that had grown up from the bottom of the box.

Mr Nicol has been connected to gas since he moved into the property but hasn't used it, instead relying on electricity to heat his home.

He said the house was built in the 1970s and the meter box had either been there since that time or had been put in when the thermal bores were plugged in the 1980s.

The fire service was called out to the leak about 12.30pm on Tuesday and sealed it up before a repairman was called out. The plant was pulled out to stop further problems.

Rotorua Fire Service Senior Station Officer Colin Rolfe said gas leaks were rare in Rotorua but had "the potential to be dangerous".

"The potential is there every day of the week for there to be a gas leak," Mr Rolfe said.

"If someone lights a match there's the potential for a fire."

Vector communications manager Philippa White said most meter connections were made of aluminium and older connections had been replaced over the years. If anyone had any concerns they could call and the connection would be checked.

"Although the sound of the gas escaping can be alarming, natural gas is very light and disperses quickly up into the atmosphere," she said.

"Pressure on the medium pressure gas distribution network in Rotorua is around 50 psi which is approximately equivalent to 1.5 times the pressure in a car tyre."

Anyone who was connected but didn't use their gas could be disconnected through their energy supplier.