FAQs - Safety
Are the natural gas pipelines safe?
Pipelines are operated under a variety of federal and state regulations and industry standards intended to ensure public and environmental safety and health. Such regulations address all aspects of pipeline operation and maintenance, including where they are built, how they are built, and how they are tested. Natural gas pipelines have been a part of Georgia's history throughout the 1900s. Southern Natural Gas has been safely operating large natural gas lines in Georgia since 1930 and currently operates over 2,200 miles of natural gas lines in the state. Throughout its history, Southern Natural Gas has operated its pipeline system safely and reliably and has never caused an injury or fatality to the general public. The company owns 14 lines that cross the Chattahoochee River, and other lines that cross 13 other rivers in Georgia.
Southern Company also owns seven large gas pipelines that serve generating plants in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Southern Company contracts with other pipeline operators to maintain and service these lines. Like Southern Natural Gas, Southern Company's large natural gas pipelines have never caused an injury or fatality to a member of the public or residents of property where the company's pipelines are located.
How can residents tell where a pipeline is located and what can they do to keep natural gas pipelines safe?
Since pipelines are usually buried underground, line markers and warning signs are used to indicate their approximate location along the pipeline route. Residents need to be aware of the presence of these signs in their communities. Anyone planning to dig, especially in an area that appears to be a pipeline right-of-way or where the presence of a pipeline is suspected, should adhere to the "Call Before You Dig" law and call the Utilities Protection Center (UPC) at 1-800-282-7411, or in Atlanta 770-623-4344 to request underground locate service.
Is it possible for the pipeline to leak or rupture?
Many leak detection systems and methods are used in the operation of pipelines, which include monitoring instruments that detect conditions such as a drop in pressure or a change in the flow rate that might indicate a rupture. Also, natural gas pipelines are frequently inspected by foot, by car or from aircraft. Leaks rarely occur; however, when they do, it is generally a result of someone digging near a pipeline without first contacting their local Utilities Protection Center.
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