Safety responsibilities
We own and maintain natural gas piping that connect our distribution system to the meter at your home. We periodically perform inspections and surveys on our pipes with special instruments designed to detect natural gas.
You own and are responsible for maintaining all natural gas lines running from our meter to your natural gas appliances, as well as lines to additional buildings or equipment on your property.
Proper maintenance and repairs
- Inspect buried natural gas piping periodically to avoid potential hazards.
- Check for corrosion and leaks. Signs of a leak include:
- An odor similar to rotten eggs.
- Dead vegetation above the piping.
- Remedy issues right away. For a fee, plumbers or heating contractors can assist in locating, inspecting, repairing or replacing customer-owned buried pipes. For safety, only approved installation practices and materials should be used.
- Call before you dig. Safety laws require you to locate all buried natural gas piping, electric lines and other facilities before any excavation work. Contact Digger’s Hotline at 811 or diggershotline.com at least three business days in advance. It’s free — and it’s the law.
- Dig by hand when excavating near natural gas piping or other buried facilities.
- Protect from rust and corrosion. A suggested method for protection is wire brushing, priming and painting. When the piping passes through an outside wall, International Fuel Gas Code requires the pipe to be coated or wrapped to protect against corrosion.
