# Chapter 420, § 3: Participation in Underground Utility Damage Prevention Program

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 65-407 C.M.R. ch. 420, § 3
- **title:** Chapter 420, § 3: Participation in Underground Utility Damage Prevention Program
- **source type:** regulation
- **agency:** Maine Public Utilities Commission
- **status:** current
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2026-06-30
- **effective on:** 2026-06-30
- **summary:** A. Natural Gas and LNG Operator Participation
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/me-cmr-65-407-420-3.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/me-cmr-65-407-420-3.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/me-cmr-65-407-420-3
- **source url:** https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/407c420-2026-135-AMD.docx
**body:**

A. Natural Gas and LNG Operator Participation

  Operators in Maine must:

  1. Comply with Chapter 895;

  2. Maintain membership in a notification center that utilizes and
  promotes the 811 "one-call" notification system;

  3. Promote the use of 811 and "Ok-to-Dig" notification processes for
  use by excavators; and

  4. Report to the MPUC in accordance with Chapter 895 any damage to its
  underground facilities or a damage prevention incident utilizing an
  MPUC Underground Facility Incident Report Form.

  B. Pipeline Facility Locator Training and Qualification

  Operators must maintain documentation that each person utilized to
  locate the operator's underground pipeline facilities is properly
  trained and qualified. Such documentation must indicate the latest
  date the person completed or demonstrated:

  1. The necessary knowledge and skills needed to use industry best
  practices developed by the Common Ground Alliance for locating and
  marking pipelines or other recognized industry authority;

  2. Knowledge of state and local underground damage prevention
  regulations; and

  3. Qualification in accordance with 49 C.F.R. Part 192, Subpart N.

  C. Notation of Facilities on System Maps Using GPS Coordinates

  1. Operators must provide GPS coordinate identifiers, referenced to
  the North American Datum of 1983, for the location of all facilities
  installed after January 1, 2012.

  2. Operators must record coordinates for existing facilities whenever
  an underground facility is exposed.

  3. Operators must obtain GPS location data for new facilities for
  critical valves, at intersections with service lines, main or other
  gas facilities, at any point of directional change and at intervals
  along a pipeline sufficient to achieve geospatial accuracy.

  D. Location of Underground Facilities Where Trenchless Technology Is
  Used

  As part of its Damage Prevention Program adopted pursuant to 49 C.F.R.
  §192.614, operators must maintain and follow written procedures for
  protecting existing underground facilities during directional drilling
  and other trenchless technology installation techniques. Use of
  trenchless technology has inherent risks and regardless of the
  protection method chosen by an operator, operators have an obligation
  to not damage or interfere with other underground utility facilities.

  1. Underground Electric Facilities. When operators are installing
  natural gas facilities using directional drilling and other trenchless
  technology installation techniques, the operators' written procedures
  must require use of the exposed facility method described in Section
  3(D)(2)(a) of this Chapter.

  2. Sewer Facilities. When operators are installing natural gas
  facilities using directional drilling and other trenchless technology
  installation techniques, the operators' written procedures must
  require at least one of the following methods for positively locating
  underground sewer facilities (or two methods if using the relative
  elevation method for sewer service laterals and gravity sewer mains):

  a. Exposed facility method. Operators must pothole and expose the
  underground facility at the gas crossing; the drill head, punch head,
  or plow must be visible in the pothole. The operator must document the
  distance between the punch head, drill head, or plow and the
  underground facility at all addresses/locations where this method was
  used. The exposed facility method is the only acceptable positive
  location method when using a punch, unless the punch head is equipped
  with a sonde.

  b. Map and record method. Operators may use maps and records of sewer
  service laterals and mains to demonstrate that no conflict between the
  gas pipeline and the sewer service lateral or sewer main is possible.
  For example, if the gas service enters the front of a structure and a
  sewer service lateral exits the back of the same structure, the two
  utilities will not cross. The operator must document the criteria by
  which the lack of conflict was established and all addresses/locations
  where this method was used.

  c. Sonde method. Operators may determine sewer service lateral and
  sewer main location and depth by a sonde transmitter at the crossed
  location. If operators use this method, the punch head or drill head
  must be equipped with a sonde and must be at least three feet from the
  sewer service lateral or sewer main. Operators must calibrate the
  sonde according to the manufacturer's specifications and at least as
  frequently as indicated by the manufacturer's specifications.
  Operators must document the sewer service lateral or sewer main depth
  and the punch head, drill head, or plow depth at each crossed location
  along with all addresses/locations where this method was used.

  d. Relative elevation method (sewer service laterals only). Operators
  may determine the highest elevation of an individual sewer service
  lateral by entering the structure and verifying the sewer drain’s
  elevation as it leaves the structure. The punch head or drill head
  must be equipped with a sonde, and the punch, drill, or plow must at
  all times be at least three feet above the highest sewer service
  lateral elevation. Operators must maintain the three-foot separation
  across the entire width of the property. Operators must calibrate the
  sonde according to the manufacturer's specifications and at least as
  frequently as indicated by the manufacturer's specifications.
  Operators must document the highest sewer service lateral elevation
  relative to the punch head, drill head, or plow elevation along with
  all addresses/locations where the operator used the relative elevation
  method.

e.  Relative elevation method (gravity sewer mains only). The highest or
    lowest elevation of a sewer main may be determined by verifying the
    sewer main’s elevation as it enters and leaves the manhole
    structures adjacent to the proposed crossing and interpolating to
    the proposed crossing point. The drilling head must be equipped with
    a sonde, and the drill must follow a path at least three feet above
    the highest calculated sewer main elevation or at least three feet
    below the lowest calculated sewer main elevation. The sonde must be
    calibrated before each locate according to the manufacturer's
    specifications. Operators must document all field measurements and
    calculations for the sewer main elevation relative to the drilling
    head elevation at all locations where this method was used.
    Operators must not use this method if the distance from the proposed
    crossing to the closest adjacent sewer manhole exceeds 200 feet.

  f. Televising method. Operators may televise individual sewer service
  laterals and sewer mains after the gas pipe has been installed.
  Operators may not introduce gas into the new pipeline until the sewer
  service lateral or sewer main has been televised. Operators must
  document with an electronic, visual record of the televising along
  with a written report. Operators must correlate the sewer lateral
  connection (wye) location with the street address in a written report.
  Use of this method does not alleviate the operator’s responsibility to
  obtain all practically obtainable information regarding the location
  of sewer service laterals and sewer mains prior to installation of a
  gas pipeline (e.g., maps, drawings, diagrams, or other records). Use
  of this method does not alter or supersede the requirements in this
  Chapter and in Chapter 895 regarding the separation of utility
  facilities.

  3. Other Underground Facilities. For underground facilities other than
  electric or sewer, operators' written procedures must utilize the
  guidance material provided by the Gas Piping Technology Committee
  (GPTC) detailed in Guidance Material Appendix G-192-6, or other
  recognized industry standards.

  4. When directional drilling and other trenchless technology
  installation techniques are conducted by third party excavators,
  operators' written procedures must require mandatory monitoring of
  these excavations when an operator is notified and the operator
  determines that the proximity of the proposed excavation could affect
  the integrity of the gas facility. Operators must train their
  operating personnel, including locators and others who monitor
  directional drilling and other trenchless technology installation
  activities, in the specific requirements and hazards associated with
  those activities.

  5. Operators installing natural gas facilities using directional
  drilling and other trenchless technology installation techniques must
  implement a message, as part of their public awareness programs, to
  reach all stakeholders who may be involved in the clearing of
  obstructed sewer facilities. This stakeholder group must include, but
  is not limited to: residents, building owners, property management
  companies, municipal sewer operators, plumbing contractors, and
  equipment rental companies. Operators must implement the message prior
  to the introduction of natural gas to any facilities installed by
  trenchless technologies. The message must include the dangers
  associated with the cross boring of gas facilities through existing
  sewer and other utility facilities.

  6. Operators' written procedures regarding the use of trenchless
  technology must be reviewed annually and modified as necessary to be
  consistent with industry best practices.
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