CPUC General Order 112-F § 144 - TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR PIPELINES TO OPERATE BELOW 100 p.s.i.g.

144.1Except for service lines and plastic pipelines, each segment of a pipeline that is to be operated below 100 p.s.i.g. must be leak tested in accordance with 49 CFR §192.509 and the following:#

(a)Each main that is to be operated at less than 1 p.s.i.g. must be tested to at least 10 p.s.i.g.#

(b)Each main to be operated at or above 1 p.s.i.g. but less than 60 p.s.i.g. must be tested to at least 90 p.s.i.g.#

(c)Each main to be operated at or above 60 p.s.i.g. but less than 100 p.s.i.g. must be tested to a minimum of 1.5 times the proposed MAOP#

144.2Service lines and plastic pipelines must be leak tested in accordance with 49 CFR §192.511 or §192.513, respectively. In addition to these requirements:#

(a)Each new service line (other than plastic) intended to be operated at a pressure less than 1 p.s.i.g, must be tested to a minimum pressure of 10 p.s.i.g, for a minimum duration of 5 minutes.#

(b)Tie-in connections for pipeline used to repair existing service lines must be pressure tested at the operating pressure.#

144.3Clearance between gas pipelines and other subsurface structures:#

(a)All natural gas transmission pipelines must be installed in conformance with the requirements of 49 CFR, Part 192, §192.325.#

(b)All natural gas distribution pipelines (main and service) must be installed in conformance with the requirements of 49 CFR, Part 192, §192.325 and the following:#

(1)Independently Installed: Gas pipelines, when independently installed, shall be separated, where practicable from electrical supply systems, water, oil, communication, or other pipe systems or other foreign substructures, by a clearance of at least 12 inches when paralleling and by at least 6 inches when crossing. New gas pipelines inserted within, and utilizing as conduit, pipeline facilities installed prior to the effective date of this rule are exempt from the paralleling requirements of this paragraph but not the requirements related to crossings.#

(2)Concurrently Installed: Gas pipeline, when concurrently installed with electrical supply systems, water, oil, communication, other pipe systems, or other foreign substructures, shall be installed with the separation required by paragraph 1 of this section, except that by mutual agreement between all of the parties involved there may be less separation for duct systems for supply cables of 0 - 750 volts. (For additional information, please consult Commission General Order 128, Rule 31.4.)#

(c)In all instances where the required separations cannot be maintained, it is the responsibility of the party last installing facilities to confer with the utility and ensure that the reduced separations do not adversely impact the integrity of the gas pipeline facilities, which includes any cathodic protection that may be applied to the gas pipeline facilities.#