Public Works Department — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

Page 1PI-73-0110 06-06-73 Ronald N. Hutton, P.E. Chief, Buildings Division Public Works Department Tacoma, Washington, 98402 Dear Mr. Hutton: Your letter of May 10, 1973, describes a certain gas pipeline installation and asks whether the line in question is a service line. In the given situation, there is a tee downstream of the meter with line branch going into a house. A second branch goes back into the ground and on to another building which is described as an accessory building. It is the classification of the line to the accessory building that is in question. The piping into the house is referred to as customer's piping. However, it is not clear whether the customer or the gas company owns the piping to the accessory building. Neither does the description explain whether the gas to the accessory building is being used for the customer's own purposes or whether he is reselling the gas to a tenant living in that building. The term "service line" was recently redefined in Amendment 192-13. As here pertinent, service line means a distribution line that transports gas from a common source of supply to a customer meter or the connection to a customer's piping, whichever is farther downstream. In a situation where the customer is using the gas in the accessory building for his own purpose and owns the piping to that building, the service line ends at the outlet side of the meter. In that case the customer-owned lines downstream of the meter are not service lines within the definition and, therefore, not subject to the Part 192 regulations. On the other hand, where the line to the accessory building is owned by the gas company (operator), then the line would be classed as a service line down to the point at which it connects to the customer's piping. If the gas to the second building is being supplied by the "customer" to a tenant, or is metered separately by the operator, other considerations become involved and we would need a more complete description of the system to determine the classification of the lines. I trust this has been of some help to you. If you would like further clarification, we will be glad to respond. Sincerely, /signed/ Joseph C. Caldwell, Director 192.3 SERVICLI 1#