Why Connected Gas Detectors Are Critical for Urban Gas Safety and Compliance
Every year, the U.S. experiences about 1.7 pipeline incidents per day since 2010, more than 600 annually (FracTracker, 2025). Many of these involve natural gas leaks that force evacuations, disrupt services, and in severe cases, trigger explosions. In a dense urban environment like New York City, where thousands of people may live above or around a single gas line, even a short delay in detection can mean the difference between a safe resolution and a catastrophic disaster. The safety of natural gas infrastructure is therefore critical.
Yet, many utilities still rely on non-connected residential methane detectors (RMDs), devices that have long been shown to be outdated, risky, and insufficient for today’s safety and compliance standards. Non-connected devices cannot report alarms remotely, leaving utilities blind until occupants or building staff call. Both regulators and industry are responding. Local Law 157 requires the installation of natural gas detectors in residential buildings containing gas appliances, while the NFPA 715 and UL 1484 standards define performance requirements for unmonitored and monitored gas detectors. Together, these frameworks are shaping a new baseline: unmonitored devices that only emit an alarm are no longer enough, while monitored (connected) devices set a higher bar by transmitting real-time alerts, location information, and continuous status updates to utilities and first responders.
Why This Matters for Urban Utilities
Connected detection systems (like Avolta Connect) mirror or exceed the benefits observed during deployments. It shows quicker intervention, significantly reduced hazard probabilities, and superior data for compliance and response.
Recent regulatory filings (Residential Methane Detector Program – Amended Status Report) confirm the limitations of Non-Connected Detectors:
No real-time communication: Gas utilities still depend on occupant phone calls, a dangerous delay in preventing incidents.
No data tracking: Companies cannot monitor alarm frequency, patterns, or responses.
Placement limitations: Plug-in models depend on outlets, reducing optimal coverage,
Human dependency: Safety relies on an occupant’s awareness and willingness to act.
| Feature | Non-Connected Detectors | Connected Detectors (Avolta Connect) |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm type | Local sound only | Local sound + remote alerts |
| Response trigger | Occupant must call | Automatic alerts to an utilities' dispatch team |
| Data tracking | Not possible | Full digital traceability |
| Time to intervention | Minutes to hours (delayed) | Instant notification → faster action |
| Compliance & reporting | Manual, incomplete | Automated, regulator-ready |
A Case Study: New York’s Urban Gas Networks
Local distribution Companies (LDC) like ConEdison or NationalGrid are proactively addressing the challenges of gas leak detection in urban environments. These utilities have initiated programs to install natural gas detectors in residential and commercial buildings, aiming to enhance safety and compliance with regulatory standards. (ConEd. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking)
Con Edison has undertaken a program to install natural gas detectors at no cost to customers. These detectors are typically installed in areas where the gas service enters the building. Upon detecting elevated gas levels, the devices emit a loud alarm and send alerts to Con Edison and local emergency responders, facilitating prompt investigation and response.
Similarly, National Grid has implemented a Residential Methane Detector (RMD) program in its service territories. This initiative involves distributing RMDs to residential customers and educating local first responders about the devices, ensuring a coordinated and efficient response in case of gas leaks. (firstresponder.ngridsafety.com)
Imagine a methane leak situation in a Manhattan apartment building:
With a non-connected detector:
The alarm sounds near the building’s gas meter. But if no one is nearby to hear it, or if building staff are absent, even if present, they are often not trained to handle gas emergencies and may hesitate, unsure of the right procedure, the utility remains unaware. Hours can pass as gas accumulates in pipelines or shared spaces. By the time someone notices and makes a call, the situation may have already escalated to the point of forced evacuation or even explosion.
With Avolta Connect RMD:
Within seconds, the device triggers:
Visual & Sound Alerts: Flashing red LEDs + High-volume sound alarm
Instant digital alerts via eLichens SCADA dashboard connected to natural gas operators’ dispatch team + FirstNET secure network
Automated phone call and email with precise device location and information on the gas alerts
First responders alerted in real time to dispatch emergencies on-site
The result is an immediate response from emergency response team dispatched after being alerted within seconds by the smart connected detector, that can mean the difference between a safe resolution and a catastrophic outcome.
By transmitting alerts directly to gas monitoring dispatch centers and first responders, Avolta Connect eliminates the dangerous delays caused by human dependency. Utilities gain real-time visibility, responders arrive faster, and potential explosions or large-scale evacuations are avoided. Beyond safety, this also reduces financial losses, liability risks, and service disruptions, ensuring both public protection and operational continuity.
Why Regulators Already Push for Connected Devices
The RMD Program filing (Cases 25-E-0375, et al.) highlights the urgency of moving to connected gas alarms like eLichens Avolta Connect, giving utilities, building managers, and city planners a future-proof solution now.
Smart RMD like eLichens’ Avolta Connect offers:
Multi-channel alerts (visual, audible, dashboard, email, phone call)
Connectivity across LoRa, LTE-M with AT&T’ network FirstNet certified for secure emergency response or Verizon network (or multi-carrier SIM available), NB-IoT, Wi-SUN, Itron Milli5.
Analytics & Traceability for compliance and reporting
Reduced operational costs: fewer manual inspections, faster response times
Relying on non-connected detectors leaves people exposed to unnecessary risk.
By integrating Avolta Connect detectors, utilities not only comply with these evolving regulatory requirements but also create a safer environment for the communities they serve. Real-time connectivity ensures that leaks are detected, located, and acted upon without delay, transforming natural gas safety from a reactive process into a proactive system of protection.
With Avolta Connect, gas safety is already here, ready to be deployed.
Discover how eLichens’ Avolta Connect
can impact your safety for the next decade.
Related product
eLichens Avolta Connect - 10% LEL Natural Gas Detector:
eLichens Avolta is eLichens’ ready-to-use Residential Methane Detector designed for both residential and industrial applications. Utilizing our low-power methane NDIR gas sensor, it detects, alerts, and protects premises with high gas selectivity and a lifespan of over 10 years on battery power. It supports multiple communication protocols for remote monitoring and integration with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
