Ohio Pipeline Infrastructure Replacement

Yes, the existing main line is safe. These enhancements are being conducted to meet all U.S. Department of Transportation's 192 Pipeline Integrity Regulations and requirements as part of a 25-year program.

Enbridge Gas Ohio will schedule Pipeline Infrastructure Replacement program work in various neighborhoods throughout our service territory. We will notify you in advance of when we anticipate preliminary work to start on your property. Preliminary work may consist of surveying and staking the pipeline route and any other activity as required by the project. You will also be notified prior to the start of construction in the form of a letter, a phone call and/or a door tag.

If we are working on your gas line, we will need to turn off your service for a short period of time. Once work is complete, we will test your gas lines, restore service and relight your appliances if there is an adult 18 years of age or older present. If there is not an adult present, we will leave a door tag asking you to call us to have your service restored when an adult is present.

No, you do not need to be home when we are working on your street. However, if there is active gas service at the location and it is interrupted due to construction, an adult 18 years of age or older will need to give us inside access to the home or business so that we can restore service and relight the appliances. We may also need access if we need to perform additional work, such as an interior service line inspection, meter change or installing automated meter reading equipment.

We may need access to the gas meter and a three-foot area cleared around the meter in order to do our work. If an on-site inspector schedules an appointment with you, please take whatever steps are necessary to remove any obstructions so that we can reach the meter.

Yes. Our goal is to maintain an open lane of traffic at all times.

Temporary parking restrictions may be necessary in some areas and signs will be posted where parking is banned. Public safety and traffic flow are top concerns.

Because natural gas pipelines are buried, some digging will be necessary in the public Right-of-Way, which includes the tree lawn area. If your service line, which is an underground pipe that runs from the street to the gas meter, needs to be replaced, we may need to dig on your property near the meter. Before we would do any work on private property, we would personally contact you or the landowner. Once work is complete, the restoration of yards, sidewalks and pavement will be done as quickly as possible. Typical yard restoration is limited to grading and seeding.

All Enbridge Gas Ohio standard safety and operating procedures along with all laws, regulations and ordinances that apply will be enforced on this project.

Yes. All Enbridge Gas Ohio underground utilities will be marked prior to the start of construction. We will also contact the Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) and they will notify other member utilities to mark the location of their underground pipes or wires. Please do not remove the flags and markers from the ground. If you have a pet containment system and/or a sprinkler system, it is your responsibility to mark the location of these systems.

As part of the program's cost recovery approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), an additional rider is added to your monthly bills, which began in November 2009. This rider may increase annually as the program progresses, upon review by the PUCO. Most customers will not experience any other additional costs associated with this work.

There are three possible exceptions:

• For non-customers who would like to establish natural gas service, there may be additional costs for installation of the service line (the piping that connects the main line with the gas meter). If a qualified contractor is hired, they will be reimbursed based on Enbridge Gas Ohio's calculation of reasonable installation costs. Enbridge Gas Ohio will perform standard service line installations or re-establish natural gas service at no cost. Please contact us if you have any questions.
• Enbridge Gas Ohio will cover the cost of necessary repairs or replacements to the service line (the piping that connects the main line with the gas meter), unless the line must be repaired or replaced as a result of damage caused by the property owner, the customer or another party.
• For faulty gas lines running from the meter to the gas equipment, as well as faulty appliances or equipment, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to hire a qualified contractor to address the issue(s). For your safety reasons, we will not turn the gas service back on until the issue(s) are corrected. Any faulty gas appliances will be red-tagged and it will be the customer's responsibility to have the appliance repaired.

Large equipment, such as backhoes and shoring equipment, will be used during construction and is necessary to replace and install any pipeline. This space allows Enbridge Gas Ohio the width necessary to lay, maintain and operate the pipelines in a safe construction zone.

Yes, customers should contact us if they've added any appliances that significantly increase their natural gas usage (for example, a natural gas pool heater or generator).

The technician will make an appointment to discuss the project and the ideal location for an outside meter. Although Enbridge Gas Ohio ultimately must approve the location of the meter, we'll consider your feedback and try to find an agreeable location during the appointment.

Yes, customers will need to be home to have the meter moved. The technician will need to have access to the meter and all the natural gas appliances in the home. In the future, however, with an outside meter, you won't need to be home during regular meter inspections.