NEWS RELEASE

November 5, 2026

New Analysis Finds Leak-Prone Pipe Replacement Reduces Leaks and Risk

Independent Review of 15 Years of PHMSA Data Finds Infrastructure Investments Improved System Performance, Challenging Claims That Infrastructure Investment Has Not Enhanced Safety

WESTBOROUGH, MA —Replacing aging, leak-prone natural gas distribution pipe has materially improved gas distribution safety, reduced leaks and hazardous conditions, and lowered the likelihood of serious incidents, according to a new analysis by The Blacksmith Group. The report, A 2026 Evaluation of Natural Gas Distribution Pipeline Safety Performance in the United States, examines 15 years of data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and operators and concludes that these replacement investments are delivering meaningful safety improvements.

The analysis responds to a July 2026 report from the Future of Heat Initiative (FOHI), which argued that replacing older cast iron and bare or unprotected steel pipe has not produced industry-wide safety gains. However, a more comprehensive review of the available data reveals the opposite: these investments have meaningfully improved the safety performance of the natural gas distribution system.

Key findings include:

• Safety performance improved substantially from 2010 through 2025. Northeast data show that PHMSA-reportable distribution incidents declined 52% in the Northeast. Hazardous main leaks declined 29% in the Northeast, while total main leaks declined 45%. Metrics used by FOHI such as incident counts alone do not capture these outcomes because they omit important differences in incident type and context.
• Replacement is the most effective long-term engineering solution for system integrity. While targeted repairs can address certain defects, they are not a substitute when pipe has deteriorated significantly or faces systemic risks such as those associated with century-old cast iron and its bell-and-spigot joints.
• Leaks have declined significantly over the past 15 years. The reductions are especially consequential in the Northeast, where older systems have left a larger remaining inventory of leak-prone pipe. Safety issues continue to occur disproportionately on these materials, particularly cast iron, which is vulnerable to joint leakage and breaks caused by the pipe material and condition coupled with frost, ground movement, and excavation.
• Although the inventory of cast iron pipe has decreased, it continues to account for a disproportionate share of leaks and breaks, underscoring the importance of sustained infrastructure replacement efforts.
• Replacement programs provide safety benefits beyond reducing incidents and leaks. They improve operational control through the installation of excess flow valves and emergency sectionalizing valves; improving access to infrastructure like meters and regulators; strengthen facility records to reduce excavation damage risk; and reduce vulnerability to water intrusion and customer outages. The work also lowers methane emissions.

“Safety is the gas industry’s priority, and this analysis shows why sustained replacement of leak-prone pipe matters,” said José Costa, President and CEO of the Northeast Gas Association. “According to our members these programs reduce risk by strengthening system integrity, lowering leaks and hazardous conditions, and adding safeguards that protect customers and communities. Policymakers and regulators should continue supporting risk-based infrastructure modernization, so the Northeast can sustain these gains while providing the reliable service that people and businesses depend on every day.

The Blacksmith Group report is available here: State of Safety Performance. A report summary is available here: Report Summary.

About Northeast Gas Association

The Northeast Gas Association (NGA) is a regional trade association focused on education and training, technology research and development, pipeline safety, energy reliability and affordability, and environmental initiatives in the Northeast U.S.

NGA represents natural gas distribution companies, transmission companies, liquefied natural gas importers, storage companies, and associate member companies. These companies provide natural gas to over 13 million customers in 11 states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont).