Sound of pipeline blowdown to be heard in Smith County Thursday

SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - On Thursday morning, Midcoast Energy, a natural gas company, will perform a routine blowdown of 9.5 miles of pipeline in Smith County, and some residents will hear it, even if not close by.

According to Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks, a blowdown is the release of pressure off the pipeline, which creates a loud hissing noise that can be heard for long distances. This should begin at around 7 a.m. on Thursday.

“Due to the volume of the pipeline and the amount of pressure, the noise could continue for quite a while,” Brooks said.

The primary location of the blowdown will be two-tenths of a mile northwest of the intersection of Hwy 155 and CR 343 (King’s Lane). As a landmark, this is where the Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace office is located.

The secondary location is a tenth of a mile east of the intersection of FM 1252 and CR 3104. This is southwest of Gladewater in Smith County.

According to Midcoast Energy, the controlled blowdown will take about two hours, the fire marshal says.

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