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Natural Gas Line Safety & Maintenance
What You Need To Know To Stay Safe Around Natural Gas Lines
Dominion Energy owns, operates, and maintains thousands of miles of natural gas pipeline. Whether you have questions about the meter where our line meets your house, or about how lines are maintained miles away from your home, we have answers.
Get important information below about natural gas safety and natural gas pipelines.
Gas Emergency Numbers
If you smell gas, suspect a leak or if there is an explosion or fire, call Dominion Energy right away. Use these numbers 24 hours a day, every day.
Resources
Recursos
Frequently Asked Questions
To ensure the safe and efficient operation of natural gas equipment, please protect meters and vents:
- Do not allow snow to bury exhaust and intake vents or to pile up on natural gas meters. Keeping vents clear can help keep your appliance's pilot lights on, allow them to breathe and operate efficiently, and vent combustion byproducts to the outside.
- Consider using a shelter specifically designed to protect the meter if you live in an area where snow and ice tend to build up on the meter. Do not shelter the meter with a metal sheet or wheelbarrow, or allow metal items such as trash cans, bicycles or gardening tools to come in contact with the meter, as they can promote corrosion.
- Please ensure any outside gas meters are not in direct contact with soil or mulch below them. Natural gas meters have aluminum housings that can corrode and cause damage (creating the potential for leaks). Also, take care not to bury the valve at the side of the meter. This valve must be exposed for emergency responders.
An EFV is a safety device that is designed to shut off or significantly reduce the flow of natural gas if a service line sustains damage (typically by excavation performed too close to the line) that results in a sudden and significant leak or pressure drop.
An EFV isn't required for the normal, safe operation of a service line. However, a customer may request the installation of an EFV on a qualifying existing service line should they wish to have one. Customers requesting installation of an EFV will be billed for the actual costs associated with installation.
Dominion Energy reserves the right not to install an EFV under conditions specified under federal pipeline safety regulations. Dominion Energy has been routinely installing these devices as part of the ongoing Pipeline Infrastructure Replacement Program in Ohio and the Pipeline Replacement and Expansion Program in West Virginia.
Benefits of an EFV
- May prevent buildup of natural gas pressure and lessen the possibility of a natural gas emergency and resulting property damage.
- Provides safe working conditions for Dominion Energy personnel at the scene of mainline damage.
- Diminishes environmental impact by reducing the amount of natural gas escaping into the atmosphere.
If you have questions, or to request installation of an Excess Flow Valve, please contact us. During the call, we will determine whether the service line is eligible and, if appropriate, schedule an appointment for inspection and possible installation.
View the Federal Register notice detailing the ruling by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Cross Bores
Cross Boring occurs when a utility unintentionally intersects or damages another utility's underground facilities.
Natural gas is non-toxic, colorless, odorless and lighter than air. Signs of a leak may include:
- A sulfur-based additive gives natural gas its rotten-egg smell (we'll send you a scratch-and-sniff postcard if you're unsure what it smells like).
- Dry spots, especially in wet fields, discolored soil, dead or dying vegetation near a pipeline.
- Dirt being blown into the air.
- Continuous bubbles in standing or moving water.
- Flames coming from the ground or near exposed piping.
- Hissing, roaring or blowing sound.
If You Suspect a Natural Gas Leak
- Leave the area immediately moving to an upwind location.
- Warn others to stay away.
- From a safe place, call 911 and then contact us.
- DO NOT try to find the source of the leak.
- DO NOT try to turn natural gas valves on or off. NEVER try to repair or reduce the flow of gas.
- DO NOT use any light switch, electric switch, telephone, garage door opener as they can cause a spark and ignite gas.
- DO NOT use your cell phone, flashlight or other battery-powered device.
- DO NOT smoke, use a lighter or strike a match.
- DO NOT start or stop nearby vehicles, machinery or device that may spark.
- DO NOT attempt to put flames out if it ignites. Let it be.
- DO NOT return to the area until notified by Dominion Energy or emergency services that it is safe to do so.
If you are planning to dig on your property, follow these important steps:
- Call before you dig. State laws require that before digging, you call 811 to have your lines located at least 3 full working days before you begin any excavation work in South Carolina.
- Wait. At no cost to you, technicians will mark the location of the utility lines on your property. Once all lines are marked, you can then safely begin your digging project.
- Respect the markings for your safety.
- Dig with care. If you accidentally hit the pipeline, no matter how minor it may seem, leave the area immediately and call 911 immediately and contact us.
Dominion Energy's natural gas lines run through both urban and rural areas, as well as on both public and private lands. In order to provide natural gas service to our customers, Dominion Energy acquires "rights of way" or "easements" which allow pipelines and related facilities to be located on these properties, and for us to access to the land for maintenance purposes.
These rights of way are usually documented by a written agreement and recorded in the county in which the land is located. Rights of way are kept clear of obstructions to enable Dominion Energy to safely operate, patrol, inspect, maintain or repair its pipelines and related facilities. A change in property ownership does not alter or extinguish Dominion Energy's rights.
If you are a landowner, contractor, or other third party operating near natural gas pipelines, please make yourself aware of relevant guidelines and safety measures.
Not sure whether your property is subject to an easement or right of way agreement? Searching for this information, particularly regarding agreements that date back more than 70 years, may require extensive research. Consider hiring a title attorney or title company to locate existing encumbrances on your land.
You'll know there is a natural gas pipeline on a property by the presence of line markers, which indicate the approximate location of underground natural gas pipelines.
- Markers are general, not exact, locators, and may not be present on every parcel of land.
- Markers do not tell how deep a pipeline is buried. Nor do they necessarily indicate the number of underground lines.
- Pipelines do not always follow a straight course between two markers, so never rely solely on the presence or absence of pipeline markers.
- It is a federal crime to willfully deface, damage, remove or destroy a pipeline marker.
- Whether a line marker is present or not, please call the 811 "Call Before You Dig" hotline at least 3 working days before you plan to dig.
If a pipeline is located on or near your property:
- Permanent structures such as storage buildings, sheds, swimming pools, or bodies of water may not be built within the right-of-way.
- Trees may not be planted within the right-of-way.
- Changing the ground elevation by either adding or removing soil from the right-of-way is not permitted.