Abandonment or deactivation of facilities

(a)Not later than 1 year after all customers are no longer being billed for the use of any particular Service Line, each Operator shall Abandon such Service Line, except for a cathodically protected steel or plastic Service Line, which shall be Abandoned not later than 5 years after such customers are no longer being billed for the use of such protected steel or plastic Service Line.#

(b)Not later than 6 months after a Service Line is Placed In Service for a customer, all other Service Lines supplying that customer, where the customer is no longer being billed for the use of the other Service Lines, shall be Abandoned.#

(c)Not later than 90 calendar days after only a Curb Valve is closed to terminate service to a customer, the Service Line shall be Abandoned, unless approved by the Authority in writing.#

(d)Abandonment of Service Lines shall include:#

(1)disconnecting the Service Line at the connection to the Main, unless the Service Line is Abandoned by Abandoning a Main;#

(2)closing all Curb Valves;#

(3)removing the top section of valve boxes or Vaults and filling the void with suitable compacted material, except for valve boxes or Vaults set in concrete or asphalt, which shall be filled with suitable compacted material to an appropriate distance from the top of the valve box or Vault and then filled completely with suitable paving material; 22#

(4)removing any above-ground portion of the Service Line and capping the Service Line at an appropriate depth below-ground; and#

(5)capping the end of the Service Line inside the building as close to the building wall as practical when a Service Line enters a building below-ground.#

(e)Previously Abandoned pipe shall not be used in the Transportation Of Gas, unless approved by the Authority in writing.#