Imperial Valley press., 1932-06-21
REPORT ON GAS INVESTIGATION
FILED BY RAILROAD COMMISSION

The Press presents herewith the
report of the railroad commission
of the state of California on the
investigation of the local gas situI
alton made at the request of the
city council, following complaints
filed by consumers in this city.
City of Ell Centro
Ell Centro, California.
Gentlemen-This will refer you
to your letter of January II, con-
corning complaints registered
through the city council of Ell Cen
tro, protesting against the gas serv-
ice and charges of the Natural Gas
Corporation of California.
An investigation was made at El
Centro the week of March 81 in
order to determine service condi-
tions existing on this SYSTEM also,
careful consideration has been CIV
en- to the study of the operating
data prior to and since the install
lation of the air butane gas service
in Ell Centre on December 18, 1881.
AS a result of this investigation, it
is the opinion of our engineers that
certain changes in the distribution
system should be made in the fol-
lowing manner:
First. The installation of a g.
inch low pressure main in Fourth
street, connecting together all ex-
listing dead-end mains in Fourth
street. This will serve the down.
town commercial section with a
uniform and adequate supply of low
pressure gas service.
Second. The conversion of the
area south of Hamilton avenue and
west on Eighth street from low
pressure to high pressure gas serv-
ice, with the installation of indivi-
dual gas regulators at each meter
location.
Third. The installation of tw1
additional distribution automatic
low pressure regulators in order to
supply gas in the low pressure area
in two directions.
The proposed changes outlined
above, in the opinion of our en-
gineers, will benefit all gas con-
sumers in Ell Centro, assuring all
adequate supply Of gas during ex-
treme demand periods, and shall
reduce to a minimum the future
poor service complaints.
On April 25 a conference was neld
at the commission'S offices IN San
Francisco, at which time the off,
cials of the Natural Gas Corpora
ton of California appeared before
II II Two
to make the above changes in their
distribution system before October
/, 1882. We have since been ad-
vised by the company that work
ha9 been commenced on the changes
AID it is anticipated that they will
be completed on or before that
date.
The study of the consumers ac-
counts was made for the purpose CT
determining the effect that wealth.
er conditions have upon tn, month
ly bills for the summer and winter
seasons; also, an analysis was made
to determine what has been the
effect on the monthly bills since
the inauguration of the air butane
gas service.
The U. S. Chronological statistics
show a maximum variation in ten-
perature of 4s degrees occurring in
a twenty-four hour period during
the winter season. This climatic
change is found to be reflected in
the consumers use of gas. For in
stance, the average bill for all con-
sumers in Ell Centro for January.
1881, was 228 PER CENT greater
than for the bills for the month of
May, 1881 The average bill for
January, 1882, was ITS per cent
greater than for May, 1882.
The above percentages are aver
ages for all consumers; the indivi-
dual consumers bill varied from