Do you have buried natural gas lines for a pool, workshop or other use on your property? You should know about a federal law covering the maintenance of customer-owned gas piping.

In most cases, gas companies maintain buried gas piping up to the outlet of the gas meter on your property. All gas piping beyond this point is the responsibility of the property owner.

Some examples of buried gas piping that are not maintained by Alliant Energy's utility subsidiaries are:

Buried piping past the outlet of a meter supplying mobile homes;
Buried piping past the outlet of a meter supplying secondary buildings, such as a detached garage and workshops;
Buried piping past the outlet of a meter supplying additional equipment, such as pool heaters, gas grills and yard lamps.

The federal law administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (Title 49 CFR 192.16) states:

Buried piping that is not maintained may be subject to the potential hazards of corrosion and leakage.
Buried piping should be:

- Periodically inspected for leaks;
- Periodically inspected for corrosion if the piping is metallic;
- Repaired or removed from service if any unsafe condition is discovered.
Before excavating near buried piping, the piping should be located and excavating done carefully by hand. Underground locating contractors may assist with locating buried piping. A plumbing or heating contractor may be able to provide assistance with inspection and repair of buried piping.

If you have questions or need more information, call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-ALLIANT (255-4268).