# 255.723 Distribution systems: leakage surveys and procedures.

**Citation:** 16 NYCRR 255.723  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** New York State Public Service Commission  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** Not stated

Transmission and Distribution of Gas. (a) Each operator of a distribution system shall provide for periodic leakage surveys in its operating and maintenance plan. Leaks located by these surveys shall be investigated promptly and necessary action shall be taken in accordance with sections 255.805 and 255.807 of this Part.

(b) The type and scope of the leakage control program must be determined b

## Document text

(a) Each operator of a distribution system shall provide for periodic leakage surveys in its operating and maintenance plan. Leaks located by these surveys shall be investigated promptly and necessary action shall be taken in accordance with sections 255.805 and 255.807 of this Part.

(b) The type and scope of the leakage control program must be determined by the nature of the operations and the local conditions, but it must meet the following minimum requirements:

(1) A leakage survey with leak detector equipment shall be conducted at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year, in business districts within the operator's gas franchise area including tests of the atmosphere of gas, electric, telephone, sewer, and water system manholes, at cracks in pavement, at the curbline, in the sidewalk, and at other locations providing an opportunity for finding gas leaks.

(2) Leakage surveys of the distribution system outside of business districts, must be made as frequently as necessary, but at least once every five calendar years at intervals not exceeding 63 months.

(3) If the operator employs leakage history to determine areas of active corrosion, the leakage survey frequency shall be at least once every three calendar years at intervals not exceeding 39 months on mains and service lines.

(c) Distribution lines operating at 125 psig (862 kPa) or more and located in Class 3 and 4 locations must comply with the transmission line leakage survey requirements in section 255.706 of this Part.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I505d5a5fcd1711dda432a117e6e0f345?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)>
- Source ID: `ny-dps-nycrr`
- SHA-256: `6f4c4fcb58d39569647869aa9910e8cf5c7815daccc4268a44cc44887fde4234`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-12T06:20:40.894Z
- Exported: 2026-08-25T20:30:55.660Z
- Document slug: `ny-nycrr-255-723`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "jurisdiction": "US-NY",
  "title": 16,
  "part": "255",
  "partTitle": "Transmission and Distribution of Gas",
  "scopeKind": "gas-pipeline-safety",
  "tocPath": [
    "Part 255 Transmission and Distribution of Gas",
    "Maintenance"
  ],
  "legalScope": "Complete current terminal legal unit exposed by the DPS-designated Title 16 NYCRR pipeline-safety part inventory.",
  "applicabilityCaveat": "Applicability depends on the part and section, Commission jurisdiction, commodity and facility type, intrastate or interstate status, operator and activity, exemptions, waivers, federal preemption, Commission orders, and incorporated law. DPS inspects portions of interstate systems for PHMSA, but PHMSA retains federal enforcement authority. DPS states that all jurisdictional Part 256 gas-holder and Part 257 LPG-plant facilities have been decommissioned even though those regulations remain unrepealed.",
  "incorporationCaveat": "These parts incorporate or rely on federal pipeline regulations, federal and New York statutes, Commission rules and orders, and privately authored technical standards. Part 10 supplies incorporation details. References metadata preserves explicit citations but does not reproduce external material, determine licensing rights, or decide whether a particular incorporation is static or dynamic.",
  "publicationCaveat": "The New York Department of Public Service identifies these eleven Title 16 NYCRR parts as its state pipeline-safety regulations and links to the public DOS/Westlaw NYCRR reading copy. That site labels the online text unofficial and directs users needing evidentiary accuracy to the Official NYCRR maintained by the Department of State Division of Administrative Rules. Each section's 'Current through' date is the most recent official NYCRR supplement covering that section, not a uniform corpus-wide amendment date.",
  "rights": "New York government-edict text is preserved with DPS, Department of State, and publisher attribution. The public reading site's presentation and enhancements, agency marks, forms, annotations, and incorporated federal or privately authored standards require separate rights review; this connector does not claim rights in those materials.",
  "rightsReviewRequired": true,
  "currentThrough": "2024-05-31",
  "historyEvents": "No event is emitted because the section reading copy does not supply an explicit adoption, filing, or effective-date history.",
  "publisherCitation": "16 CRR-NY 255.723",
  "identityAnomaly": null,
  "references": [
    {
      "citation": "16 NYCRR 255.805",
      "referenceType": "new-york-administrative-code",
      "url": "https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I505da845cd1711dda432a117e6e0f345?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)"
    },
    {
      "citation": "16 NYCRR 255.706",
      "referenceType": "new-york-administrative-code",
      "url": "https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I505d5a44cd1711dda432a117e6e0f345?viewType=FullText&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=CategoryPageItem&contextData=(sc.Default)"
    }
  ],
  "region": "NY"
}
```