Our job is to ensure the safe reliable delivery of natural gas to your home or business. We operate and maintain an extensive network of pipeline, which includes more than 6,000 miles of natural gas pipeline beneath our city’s streets, sidewalks and yards.
Customer safety is our top priority, especially when it comes to keeping your home or business safe from the potential dangers of natural gas.
Your responsibility
Owning a home or business comes with a number of maintenance responsibilities. We understand that some of these responsibilities may even come as a surprise to you.
Customers are responsible for the maintenance of all natural gas lines extending after the meter to and within the home or business. Even though, in some cases, the natural gas service lines that run from the meter to your home or business are buried, maintenance is still required.
Our natural gas system is governed by Federal regulations. While the Department of Transportation (DoT) regulations do not require you to inspect or maintain your natural gas service line, we do recommend customers with natural gas lines buried from the meter to the primary structure:
- Periodically inspect lines for leaks.
- Periodically inspect lines for corrosion if the piping is metallic.
- Repair any unsafe conditions.
If natural gas lines are not properly maintained, they may be subject to potential hazards of corrosion and leakage.
If your natural gas service line is buried between the meter and primary structure, you may request to have it reconfigured. All costs associated with the reconfiguration are the responsibility of the customer or property owner. Once complete, we then assume responsibility for maintaining the buried natural gas service line.
Our responsibility
As required by the DoT, we perform routine leak and corrosion inspections every three to five years - nearly 70,000 annually. From the inspections, we find leaks that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
If your property is scheduled for inspection, we will call you with an automated notification that says:
“…In the near future, you may see our Gas Leak Survey Specialists or Corrosion Technicians at your property performing routine inspections of the natural gas service line and meters. It is not necessary to be home for this inspection…”
A typical leak survey involves walking over the entire underground natural gas pipe from the main in the street or alley to your meter. Depending on the type of survey needed, we may use a probe, leak detector, or an electronic device that records data. A typical survey does not require digging, and the end results are not noticeable. On average, a survey lasts anywhere from a few to 20 minutes. However, if a leak or corrosion is found, additional work will need to be performed.
If we are unable to access the lines and/or a main at the time of the survey, we will leave a door hanger instructing you to call and set an appointment. When our employees arrive for the appointment, please leave gates unlocked and keep dogs away.
Access to your property
As is standard with utilities across the country, our tariffs state that authorized employees have “full and free access to the premises of the customer at all reasonable hours.
Your safety
Here are some ways you can identify our leak search and corrosion employees.
- They all carry identification badges with an employee photo and ID number - don’t hesitate to ask to see it.
- Their uniforms are a navy blue jacket, and a tan shirt with our logo
- Typically, employees are walking without an accompanying utilities vehicle and carrying surveying instrumentation.
- If you are still concerned about the validity of the visit, call (719) 448-4800 and we'll confirm it.