Piedmont Supports the Efforts of Our First Responders
We are committed to supporting the first responders who work hard every day to ensure the safety of our communities. As part of this partnership, Piedmont’s pipeline operations and maintenance activities are required to follow industry-wide policies and procedures and established best practices.
Pipelines in Our Communities
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, pipelines are the safest mode of transportation for natural gas. Piedmont Natural Gas, with years of safe and continuous service, is committed to meeting or exceeding all local, state and federal natural gas pipeline safety regulations.
Piedmont Natural Gas participates in the One-Call system and rigorously performs a broad range of safety precautions including aerial and ground leak patrols, natural gas sampling, preventative maintenance, the installation of pipeline markers and the planning of emergency response procedures.
Our pipelines are underground and most are marked and can be easily identified. Markers are generally located at road, railway and river crossings and along fence lines and property boundaries, but pipelines do not always run in a straight line and markers may not be present in certain areas. Additionally, these markers may not indicate the exact location of every pipeline.
When there is an incident, we recommend first responders note the following:
- Marked pipelines usually include emergency contact information
- Not all pipelines are marked
- Other operators may have pipelines in the area (these operators should be contacted as well)
Detecting Natural Gas Leaks
- A rotten egg odor (Mercaptan)
- Bubbling water
- Blowing dirt
- A dry spot in a wet field
- A roaring or hissing sound near a gas line or meter
Recommended Actions During a Natural Gas Leak
- Evacuate the area immediately and restrict access (Use combustible gas detectors to define a perimeter)
- Call Piedmont Natural Gas immediately at 1-800-752-7504
- Do not attempt to stop the leak or tamper with the pipeline
- Do not attempt to extinguish a natural gas fire unless lives are in danger
- Prevent all ignition sources (this includes all vehicles and equipment)
- Remove combustible materials from the area. If you can’t remove them, wet them to prevent ignition
Call 811 for Pipeline Information
Contact the One-Call Center in your state for pipeline location information. Here are the phone numbers and website links for the One-Call Centers in the Piedmont Natural Gas service territories:
