This subpart prescribes minimum requirements for installing customer meters, service regulators, service lines, service line valves, and service line connections to mains.

(a) Each meter and service regulator, whether inside or outside a building, must be installed in a readily accessible location and be protected from corrosion and other damage, including, if installed outside a building, vehicular damage that may be anticipated. However, the upstream regulator in a series may be buried.

(b) Each service regulator installed within a building must be located as near as practical to the point of service line entrance.

(c) Each meter installed within a building must be located in a ventilated place and not less than 3 feet (914 millimeters) from any source of ignition or any source of heat which might damage the meter.

(d) Where feasible, the upstream regulator in a series must be located outside the building, unless it is located in a separate metering or regulating building.

(a) Protection from vacuum or back pressure. If the customer's equipment might create either a vacuum or a back pressure, a device must be installed to protect the system.

(b) Service regulator vents and relief vents. Service regulator vents and relief vents must terminate outdoors, and the outdoor terminal must—

(1) Be rain and insect resistant;

(2) Be located at a place where gas from the vent can escape freely into the atmosphere and away from any opening into the building; and

(3) Be protected from damage caused by submergence in areas where flooding may occur.

(c) Pits and vaults. Each pit or vault that houses a customer meter or regulator at a place where vehicular traffic is anticipated, must be able to support that traffic.

(a) Each meter and each regulator must be installed so as to minimize anticipated stresses upon the connecting piping and the meter.

(b) When close all-thread nipples are used, the wall thickness remaining after the threads are cut must meet the minimum wall thickness requirements of this part.

(c) Connections made of lead or other easily damaged material may not be used in the installation of meters or regulators.

(d) Each regulator that might release gas in its operation must be vented to the outside atmosphere.

(a) A meter may not be used at a pressure that is more than 67 percent of the manufacturer's shell test pressure.

(b) Each newly installed meter manufactured after November 12, 1970, must have been tested to a minimum of 10 p.s.i. (69 kPa) gage.

(c) A rebuilt or repaired tinned steel case meter may not be used at a pressure that is more than 50 percent of the pressure used to test the meter after rebuilding or repairing.

(a) Depth. Each buried service line must be installed with at least 12 inches (305 millimeters) of cover in private property and at least 18 inches (457 millimeters) of cover in streets and roads. However, where an underground structure prevents installation at those depths, the service line must be able to withstand any anticipated external load.

(b) Support and backfill. Each service line must be properly supported on undisturbed or well-compacted soil, and material used for backfill must be free of materials that could damage the pipe or its coating.

(c) Grading for drainage. Where condensate in the gas might cause interruption in the gas supply to the customer, the service line must be graded so as to drain into the main or into drips at the low points in the service line.

(d) Protection against piping strain and external loading. Each service line must be installed so as to minimize anticipated piping strain and external loading.

(e) Installation of service lines into buildings. Each underground service line installed below grade through the outer foundation wall of a building must:

(1) In the case of a metal service line, be protected against corrosion;

(2) In the case of a plastic service line, be protected from shearing action and backfill settlement; and

(3) Be sealed at the foundation wall to prevent leakage into the building.

(f) Installation of service lines under buildings. Where an underground service line is installed under a building:

(1) It must be encased in a gas tight conduit;

(2) The conduit and the service line must, if the service line supplies the building it underlies, extend into a normally usable and accessible part of the building; and

(3) The space between the conduit and the service line must be sealed to prevent gas leakage into the building and, if the conduit is sealed at both ends, a vent line from the annular space must extend to a point where gas would not be a hazard, and extend above grade, terminating in a rain and insect resistant fitting.

(g) Locating underground service lines. Each underground nonmetallic service line that is not encased must have a means of locating the pipe that complies with § 192.321(e).

(a) Each service line must have a service-line valve that meets the applicable requirements of subparts B and D of this part. A valve incorporated in a meter bar, that allows the meter to be bypassed, may not be used as a service-line valve.

(b) A soft seat service line valve may not be used if its ability to control the flow of gas could be adversely affected by exposure to anticipated heat.

(c) Each service-line valve on a high-pressure service line, installed above ground or in an area where the blowing of gas would be hazardous, must be designed and constructed to minimize the possibility of the removal of the core of the valve with other than specialized tools.

(a) Relation to regulator or meter. Each service-line valve must be installed upstream of the regulator or, if there is no regulator, upstream of the meter.

(b) Outside valves. Each service line must have a shut-off valve in a readily accessible location that, if feasible, is outside of the building.

(c) Underground valves. Each underground service-line valve must be located in a covered durable curb box or standpipe that allows ready operation of the valve and is supported independently of the service lines.

(a) Location. Each service line connection to a main must be located at the top of the main or, if that is not practical, at the side of the main, unless a suitable protective device is installed to minimize the possibility of dust and moisture being carried from the main into the service line.

(b) Compression-type connection to main. Each compression-type service line to main connection must:

(1) Be designed and installed to effectively sustain the longitudinal pull-out or thrust forces caused by contraction or expansion of the piping, or by anticipated external or internal loading;

(2) If gaskets are used in connecting the service line to the main connection fitting, have gaskets that are compatible with the kind of gas in the system; and

(3) If used on pipelines comprised of plastic, be a Category 1 connection as defined by a listed specification for the applicable material, providing a seal plus resistance to a force on the pipe joint equal to or greater than that which will cause no less than 25% elongation of pipe, or the pipe fails outside the joint area if tested in accordance with the applicable standard.

(a) Each service line connected to a cast iron or ductile iron main must be connected by a mechanical clamp, by drilling and tapping the main, or by another method meeting the requirements of § 192.273.

(b) If a threaded tap is being inserted, the requirements of § 192.151 (b) and (c) must also be met.

Each steel service line to be operated at less than 100 p.s.i. (689 kPa) gage must be constructed of pipe designed for a minimum of 100 p.s.i. (689 kPa) gage.

(a) Cast or ductile iron pipe less than 6 inches (152 millimeters) in diameter may not be installed for service lines.

(b) If cast iron pipe or ductile iron pipe is installed for use as a service line, the part of the service line which extends through the building wall must be of steel pipe.

(c) A cast iron or ductile iron service line may not be installed in unstable soil or under a building.

(a) Each plastic service line outside a building must be installed below ground level, except that—

(1) It may be installed in accordance with § 192.321(g); and

(2) It may terminate above ground level and outside the building, if—

(i) The above ground level part of the plastic service line is protected against deterioration and external damage;

(ii) The plastic service line is not used to support external loads; and

(iii) The riser portion of the service line meets the design requirements of § 192.204.

(b) Each plastic service line inside a building must be protected against external damage.

Plastic service lines installed by trenchless excavation must comply with the following:

(a) Each operator shall take practicable steps to provide sufficient clearance for installation and maintenance activities from other underground utilities and structures at the time of installation.

(b) For each pipeline section, plastic pipe and components that are pulled through the ground must use a weak link, as defined by § 192.3, to ensure the pipeline will not be damaged by any excessive forces during the pulling process.

Each copper service line installed within a building must be protected against external damage.

Each service line that is not placed in service upon completion of installation must comply with one of the following until the customer is supplied with gas:

(a) The valve that is closed to prevent the flow of gas to the customer must be provided with a locking device or other means designed to prevent the opening of the valve by persons other than those authorized by the operator.

(b) A mechanical device or fitting that will prevent the flow of gas must be installed in the service line or in the meter assembly.

(c) The customer's piping must be physically disconnected from the gas supply and the open pipe ends sealed.

(a) Excess flow valves (EFVs) to be used on service lines that operate continuously throughout the year at a pressure not less than 10 p.s.i. (69 kPa) gage must be manufactured and tested by the manufacturer according to an industry specification, or the manufacturer's written specification, to ensure that each valve will:

(1) Function properly up to the maximum operating pressure at which the valve is rated;

(2) Function properly at all temperatures reasonably expected in the operating environment of the service line;

(3) At 10 p.s.i. (69 kPa) gage:

(i) Close at, or not more than 50 percent above, the rated closure flow rate specified by the manufacturer; and

(ii) Upon closure, reduce gas flow—

(A) For an excess flow valve designed to allow pressure to equalize across the valve, to no more than 5 percent of the manufacturer's specified closure flow rate, up to a maximum of 20 cubic feet per hour (0.57 cubic meters per hour); or

(B) For an excess flow valve designed to prevent equalization of pressure across the valve, to no more than 0.4 cubic feet per hour (.01 cubic meters per hour); and

(4) Not close when the pressure is less than the manufacturer's minimum specified operating pressure and the flow rate is below the manufacturer's minimum specified closure flow rate.

(b) An excess flow valve must meet the applicable requirements of Subparts B and D of this part.

(c) An operator must mark or otherwise identify the presence of an excess flow valve in the service line.

(d) An operator shall locate an excess flow valve as near as practical to the fitting connecting the service line to its source of gas supply.

(e) An operator should not install an excess flow valve on a service line where the operator has prior experience with contaminants in the gas stream, where these contaminants could be expected to cause the excess flow valve to malfunction or where the excess flow valve would interfere with necessary operation and maintenance activities on the service, such as blowing liquids from the line.

(a) Definitions. As used in this section:

Branched service line means a gas service line that begins at the existing service line or is installed concurrently with the primary service line but serves a separate residence.

Replaced service line means a gas service line where the fitting that connects the service line to the main is replaced or the piping connected to this fitting is replaced.

Service line serving single-family residence means a gas service line that begins at the fitting that connects the service line to the main and serves only one single-family residence (SFR).

(b) Installation required. An EFV installation must comply with the performance standards in § 192.381. After April 14, 2017, each operator must install an EFV on any new or replaced service line serving the following types of services before the line is activated:

(1) A single service line to one SFR;

(2) A branched service line to a SFR installed concurrently with the primary SFR service line (i.e., a single EFV may be installed to protect both service lines);

(3) A branched service line to a SFR installed off a previously installed SFR service line that does not contain an EFV;

(4) Multifamily residences with known customer loads not exceeding 1,000 SCFH per service, at time of service installation based on installed meter capacity, and

(5) A single, small commercial customer served by a single service line with a known customer load not exceeding 1,000 SCFH, at the time of meter installation, based on installed meter capacity.

(c) Exceptions to excess flow valve installation requirement. An operator need not install an excess flow valve if one or more of the following conditions are present:

(1) The service line does not operate at a pressure of 10 psig or greater throughout the year;

(2) The operator has prior experience with contaminants in the gas stream that could interfere with the EFV's operation or cause loss of service to a customer;

(3) An EFV could interfere with necessary operation or maintenance activities, such as blowing liquids from the line; or

(4) An EFV meeting the performance standards in § 192.381 is not commercially available to the operator.

(d) Customer's right to request an EFV. Existing service line customers who desire an EFV on service lines not exceeding 1,000 SCFH and who do not qualify for one of the exceptions in paragraph (c) of this section may request an EFV to be installed on their service lines. If an eligible service line customer requests an EFV installation, an operator must install the EFV at a mutually agreeable date. The operator's rate-setter determines how and to whom the costs of the requested EFVs are distributed.

(e) Operator notification of customers concerning EFV installation. Operators must notify customers of their right to request an EFV in the following manner:

(1) Except as specified in paragraphs (c) and (e)(5) of this section, each operator must provide written or electronic notification to customers of their right to request the installation of an EFV. Electronic notification can include emails, Web site postings, and e-billing notices.

(2) The notification must include an explanation for the service line customer of the potential safety benefits that may be derived from installing an EFV. The explanation must include information that an EFV is designed to shut off the flow of natural gas automatically if the service line breaks.

(3) The notification must include a description of EFV installation and replacement costs. The notice must alert the customer that the costs for maintaining and replacing an EFV may later be incurred, and what those costs will be to the extent known.

(4) The notification must indicate that if a service line customer requests installation of an EFV and the load does not exceed 1,000 SCFH and the conditions of paragraph (c) are not present, the operator must install an EFV at a mutually agreeable date.

(5) Operators of master-meter systems and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) operators with fewer than 100 customers may continuously post a general notification in a prominent location frequented by customers.

(f) Operator evidence of customer notification. An operator must make a copy of the notice or notices currently in use available during PHMSA inspections or State inspections conducted under a pipeline safety program certified or approved by PHMSA under 49 U.S.C. 60105 or 60106.

(g) Reporting. Except for operators of master-meter systems and LPG operators with fewer than 100 customers, each operator must report the EFV measures detailed in the annual report required by § 191.11.

(a) Definitions. As used in this section:

Manual service line shut-off valve means a curb valve or other manually operated valve located near the service line that is safely accessible to operator personnel or other personnel authorized by the operator to manually shut off gas flow to the service line, if needed.

(b) Installation requirement. The operator must install either a manual service line shut-off valve or, if possible, based on sound engineering analysis and availability, an EFV for any new or replaced service line with installed meter capacity exceeding 1,000 SCFH.

(c) Accessibility and maintenance. Manual service line shut-off valves for any new or replaced service line must be installed in such a way as to allow accessibility during emergencies. Manual service shut-off valves installed under this section are subject to regular scheduled maintenance, as documented by the operator and consistent with the valve manufacturer's specification.