PECO crews probe gas odor in Delaware, Montgomery counties

PECO crews are trying to locate the source of a gas odor that has been widely reported throughout Delaware and Montgomery counties.

The utility company had received more than 400 calls from residents reporting the smell as of 4 p.m. Saturday, spokeswoman Jackie Thompson said.

Some of the reports originated in Chester and Bucks counties, but the increased call volume has been mainly comprised of reports from residents in Delaware and Montgomery counties, Thompson said.

Emergency dispatch centers and fire departments in Delaware and Montgomery counties have also reportedly been inundated with calls reporting a gas odor.

Despite the volume of reports, no leaks had been located Saturday evening, Thompson said.

"Our crews, who are trained in gas odor response, are responding to and investigating every odor call that we have received," she said. "As of now, we have not found any issues in our system that would lend itself to the elevated number of calls."

PECO has called in extra staffers and opened its Emergency Operations Center in Plymouth Meeting to further investigate and deal with the issue.

Any customer who smells a gas odor is urged to call 1-800-841-4141, or to visit PECO's website for more information.