Wheatley residents able to return to their properties have some utilities restored

There is significant damage after an explosion in Wheatley, Ont. on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Source: Kathryn Parent From photography by phos3)

As work on properties in the Wheatley evacuation zone continues, 14 customers have had their electricity restored and 10 had their water turned on.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said the clean-up and restoration of utilities to properties formerly in the zone is on-going this week. As of Tuesday morning, those customers have some utilities restored and three dumpsters have been placed outside the zone for residents clearing their properties.

The municipality says residents are not being billed for water usage at this time.

For residents who have not ha their water restored nut are working on their properties, portable washrooms have been made available.

The evacuation zone put in place following an explosion in downtown Wheatley on Aug. 26, 2021 was reduced earlier this month, allowing some residents and businesses access to their properties after nearly eight months.

Chatham-Kent public works director said officials are looking at data from two incidents involving the release of a low level of combustible gas that took place last week.

According to the municipality, there was a release of gas Friday morning, and second that night that lasted until Saturday morning. In both cases, the systems, procedures and venting stack in place worked according to design.

The last release at APEC 1 happened in November of 2021.

Brown said the gas release incidents showed to the effectiveness of the safety procedures in place and served as a reminder the issue is not fully resolved.

Chatham-Kent Fire Chief Chris Case said Fire and Emergency Services offered additional resources and air monitoring around the evacuation zone area for added safety.

"There are valid reasons why we have been on site non-stop since gas was detected last June," he said. "Although there was no threat to public safety on the weekend, we cannot let our guard down. We will remain in place until such time as the situation is resolved."