Dominion Peoples will replace its entire natural gas line on Mardi Gras Drive in Plum in an effort to restore customer confidence in the wake of a fatal explosion last week.

"There is no deterioration or corrosion [of the existing line]," Dominion spokesman Elmore Lockley said yesterday, "but we most certainly want to reassure residents that everything is safe."

Replacement of Dominion's 2-inch steel line with a plastic line will occur as soon as engineers formulate the best plan to do the work, he said.

Residents of the Holiday Park neighborhood learned of Dominion's plans at a council meeting Monday.

The explosion last Wednesday at 171 Mardi Gras Drive killed Richard Leith, 64, and threw his 4-year-old granddaughter, Gianna Pettinato, from the residence. She suffered two broken legs.

At least 15 homes were damaged and 42 were initially without gas service after the blast. Five remain without gas service.