You probably don't think about it much, but your home is served by a network of natural gas pipes that run underground. In Chicago and on the north shore, most of those pipes are owned by North Shore Gas but there is a portion of gas pipes that are the customers' responsibility.
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- What is North Shore Gas' responsibility?
- North Shore Gas owns and is responsible for maintaining the gas lines that deliver gas to the meter at your building, whether the meter is located outside or inside your building. If your building has more than one gas meter, North Shore Gas also is responsible for maintaining the pipes between the meters. Each year, North Shore Gas performs hundreds of thousands of inside safety inspections to check for leaks in the connections of its service pipes and meters.
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- What is the customers' responsibility?
- Customers are responsible for the pipes that exit the meter and serve the natural gas-fueled appliances throughout your property. This includes appliances inside and outside the building. Besides the usual boilers and furnaces, stoves and water heaters, customers may have natural gas lamps, grills or pool heaters that are all located outside the building.
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- For residential customers only.
- In cases where meters are located three feet or more from the building, North Shore Gas is responsible for monitoring for corrosion and leaks of piping from the meter to the outside wall of the residential building. The pipes are still the property of the residence and any repairs that need to be made are the responsibility of the owner.
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- How do customers locate buried piping?
- If you are planning a landscaping or home improvement project that involves digging, please call JULIE at 811 at least two business days prior to digging for assistance in locating North Shore Gas service lines and other underground utilities on your property. If you have underground gas lines leading from your meter to outdoor appliances such as a pool heater, gas grill or gas lamp, have a qualified contractor locate and mark the locations of those customer-owned gas lines. Always dig by hand near buried gas piping or any other underground facility.
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- Who is responsible for the cost of maintenance and repair?
- Buried piping is subject to corrosion or deterioration, which could lead to gas leaks over time. All customer-owned buried gas piping should be inspected periodically by a qualified contractor. If repairs need to be made, all costs associated with the maintenance and repair of customers' piping are the responsibility of the customer or property owner and we recommend inspections to be done annually.
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- Who can do the maintenance?
- Customers may choose to have repairs, replacements or maintenance performed by any qualified contractor or a plumbing contractor. Proper construction of buried piping is also critical for operational safety. Only approved installation practices and materials should be used in accordance with local building or other jurisdictional codes.
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