The Town of Chouteau provides natural gas service to residents within city limits. For natural gas, there are two key areas that we want you to understand: 1) What to do if you smell gas, 2) who is responsible for the natural gas piping when something needs checked out, repaired or replaced.
IF YOU SMELL GAS
If you suspect a gas leak:
Leave the house or building immediately
Don't use your phone in the house or building; call 911 from outside the house or from a neighbor's home
Don't light a match or strike a lighter
Don't turn on a light
Don't turn on anything electrical
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NATURAL GAS PIPING?
You may be surprised. Did you know that the maintenance of buried customer owned gas lines is the responsibility of the homeowner or business owner? Customer owned lines - often called "yard lines" - run underground from your gas meter into your home or business. Your local gas company is responsible for maintaining the line up to the gas meter.
If your gas meter sits next to your home or business (as in Picture A), you probably do not have any underground piping. However, if your gas meter is at any other location (as in Picture B), you are responsible for the maintenance of the piping that runs from the meter to your home or business. In some cases, this piping may not be protected from corrosion, and corrosion can weaken or destroy metal.
Buried piping should be periodically inspected for corrosion and leakage. Any unsafe conditions that are discovered should be repaired. Contact your local plumber or heating contractor to assist you in locating, inspecting, and repairing your buried piping. Call the Chouteau Public Works Authority at 918-476-8925 if you need more information.
Reminder: When excavating near buried gas piping, the piping should be located and marked in advance, and the excavation done by hand. If using a contractor to dig, it is the contractors responsibility to call in to have all underground lines flagged (i.e. a locate) prior to digging through Okie811. If a homeowner is doing the digging themselves, they also can call in to have all underground lines flagged (i.e. a locate) through Okie811 (dial 811 on phone or dial 800-522-6543). More information on having underground utilities marked can be found on the Okie811 website at https://www.okie811.org/.