Attachment 6 - BHE Builder Info Packet 7.2019.pdf

Welcome to BHE Natural Gas!

Let me introduce you to the process of getting natural gas to your home; brand new home, conversion, or anyone planning to use the abundant, reliable, natural gas service. If you do not already have a billing account with Black Hills Energy, please contact our Customer Care Center at 888-890-5554 to set up billing.

Keep it safe! Call 811 for locates. They will come out to your property within 48 hours

(not to include the day of the request) to mark where the main gas line runs as well as electric, phone and cable, etc. Please note that private utilities may not be able to be located. Always dig with care when working around utilities in order to prevent damages!

There are winter moratoriums in place for some of the Black Hills territories. The customer will need to check with their local office for those time frames.

All quotes given to customers will be good for 90 days of written quote.

All forms must be submitted through email to the group email listed at the top of the form. Writable PDF versions of the forms can be emailed to you.

Online Service Request Tool

Please enter requests for all construction work at: www.blackhillsenergy.com.

Choose “Contractor & Developer Info”, then “New Construction & Existing

Projects” and “Start or review construction request.”

You may create a new account or use your current log in information.

This will start the contact process, however, the attached Service Line Request Form and Meter Request Form will still need to be submitted as it has additional detailed information our local Utility Construction Specialist will need in order to work with a specific address and timeframe in order to schedule an install.

If at any time you smell gas or have a gas emergency please call our Emergency Line at 800-694-8989.

Attachment 6

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1. Service Line Excavation

Trenches and bell holes must be made safe to OSHA requirements! Black Hills Energy is not liable for any trenches or bell holes that are left open. It is the builder/contractor’s responsibility to take the proper safety measures pertaining to open trenches or bell holes, both before and after BHE installs the service line. This trench needs to be straight, level and free of voids and ledges. If the trench requires sloping or shoring, it must comply with

OSHA standards.

In new development areas, please verify that the gas main has been installed and pressurized prior to requesting service line installation. Refer to your local Utility

Construction Specialist for more information.

In the event that the main is not on your side of the road, we must verify whether or not your property has access to our gas main via a gas stub on the edge of the property. If there is no stub and/or the main is into the roadway, or across the roadway; we will need to submit permits to proper officials as required for us to interrupt the roadway to allow our third party contractor to perform a road cut/bore and tie the gas service line to our main. If the gas main is steel, this will require a welder to complete a transition. The costs for these additional services will vary by location; please contact your local Utility

Construction Specialist for information and quotes on these service fees. The quote given by your local Utility Construction Specialist will be good for 90 days. Additional charges may be applied after the work is completed for unexpected costs, such as frost or rock charges, incurred by our contractors during the install process.

All sites will be required to provide sand, crusher fines (breeze) or equivalent material with no frost for bedding and shading of the installed gas service line. See below and contact your local Utility Construction Specialist for further information.

Material next to the pipe must not contain stones, cinders, concrete, bricks, asphalt or any other material injurious to the pipe coating. If the spoil is not suitable for backfill material, use sand or other acceptable materials. Use trench padding of sand or rockshield when rocky soil is encountered or where embedded rocks protruding from the ditch bottom could damage the pipe or its coating. Trenches in rocky areas require trenching to a depth of at least four inches below the proposed pipe grade so that a four-inch or more cushion of special backfill padding may be placed under the main and maintain minimum cover.

In order for our crew to shade the pipe following installation, material shall be provided within 3’ and no closer than 2’ of the trench for the length of the trench and a pile at the bellhole with enough material to provide 1’ of coverage above the pipe.

Providing that the main gas line is on your side of the street, and not into the street, you need to have a contractor dig a trench meeting the following requirements:

4’ x 4’ bell hole must be dug so that 4’ of the main is exposed lengthwise, with a minimum of a 1’ clearance under the main and 1’ behind the main, in order for the fusion tools to be used.

In the event there is a stub, a 4’ x 4’ bell hole must be dug around the stub exposing 2’ of the stub and 1’ under the stub.

In the event the gas main is steel, a 6’ square bell hole exposing the main must be dug with the main being centered in the bell hole and with a clearance of 16” under the main in order for welding equipment to be used.

Trench is to be a minimum of 6” wide and a minimum of 24” deep (30” is preferred).

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Trenches must be dug to the foundation and the foundation completely exposed at the location of the service riser. A 2’ x 2’ bell hole is preferred.

Joint trenching is not allowed.

A minimum clearance of 3’ is required between the gas line and any other utility or underground structures. When crossing vertically (above or below), the clearance can be reduced to 1’.

Service lines must be perpendicular from the main to the house. They may not cross adjoining properties.

In the case the service line will cross driveways or be trenched under a proposed driveway; this can be handled on a case by case basis for custom applications. Refer to your local Utility Construction Specialist for information.

2. Service Line and Riser Location

The service riser, regulator, and meter must be installed within the first 4’ of the main side of the residential building and free of obstructions such as fencing and shrubbery. A service line may not parallel a building for more than 4’ and must be at least 3’ from the building foundation. A service line that parallels a building must approach the meter set at a 90° angle to the building.

Avoidance of steep banks, excessive moisture, standing water, retaining walls, and plowed lands is encouraged.

Locations that are vulnerable to damage and safety hazards – such as vehicle movement in driveways, parking areas, stairways, public passages; should be avoided.

Black Hills Energy does not permit service installation under or through buildings and structures or directly into concrete or asphalt pavement materials.

In high risk vehicular areas, BHE will install protective barricades when deemed necessary. Customer costs could be incurred, please contact your local Utility

Construction Specialist for further details.

Black Hills Energy must have access to service the meter if and when necessary, including but not limited to, monthly reads and any emergency situations. There should be a minimum of 3’ clearance around the gas meter.

The service regulator must not be within 3’ of a potential ignition source, vent, door, operational window, or other openings into the building. The service regulator cannot be within 6’ of any power vent. Additionally, there can be no opening within 10’ vertically of the regulator; refer to “minimum clearance chart” on page 6.

The house piping must be stubbed out at least 24” to the right of the riser to allow room for the meter set. For commercial or large volume meter applications, refer to your local Utility Construction Specialist for information.

Meter set shall not be located below an exhaust vent that has the potential to produce condensation and freeze up the regulator.

Meter and regulator set shall be shielded from water runoff, ice, snow, hail, etc., that could damage or affect the operations of the gas service. The meter must be installed on the gabled end of the house, not the snow slide side of the house, in certain jurisdictions. Refer to your local Utility Construction Specialist for information.

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After the service and riser are installed to finished grade, any costs incurred due to changes in location, finished grade or any other reason resulting in an unsatisfactory location, shall be paid by the builder. For this reason, it is best practice to have ground at final grade or final grade marked prior to installation.

After the service is installed, if there are any changes to the BTU load that was supplied on the Service Line Request Form that affects the size of the service line needed, the builder will be responsible for the total cost to run a new service. For this reason, it is required to have an accurate BTU load calculation prior to installation.

3. Service Line Scheduling

The Service Line Request form must be sent to the local office, specifying that the trench will be dug to the above BHE specs and will be ready for gas service install.

BHE will schedule installation of the gas line within 10 business days of receiving the completed Service Request Form with the Trench Ready Date of current or future dates. Any Trench Ready Dates listed prior to the date of receiving the request form will be adjusted to the date of receipt. All schedules are subject to change due to weather and emergency situations.

All trenches and bell holes must be maintained to BHE specs, safe, and cleared of any debris, snow, mud or water prior to scheduled installation.

After the service line has been installed, the builder/contractor may proceed to backfill all trenches. BHE is self-inspected and does not require city/county inspections after gas service line installation.

The service line will be installed between 8am – 5pm on the scheduled date with no guarantee on time of install.

Please note that in the event we arrive to install a service line and find the trench is unsafe or is not dug to our specifications, BHE will not install the service line, a trip fee will be assessed (current pricing will be supplied to you by your local UCS) and it will be your responsibility to call your local office to reschedule.

If you must reschedule an install that is on schedule, notice must be given more than

24 hours in advance of the schedule install. If less than 24 hour notice is given, a trip fee will be assessed (current pricing will be supplied to you by your local UCS).

4. Meter Installation

You will be required to have the house pipes and venting inspected. Your heating/plumbing contractor will need to run a pressure test on the house piping, whether new or propane conversion. Inspections must be passed and received by the local office before BHE can set a meter.

Black Hills Energy performs a variety of safety and pressure checks on every meter set before it can be put into service. A BHE technician must have access to the inside of the building/home at the time of installation. Meters will be installed within 5 business days of receiving the Meter Request Form unless you are in El Paso County and have a contract for meter tie ins. All schedules are subject to change due to weather and emergency situations. If you need to change your install schedule for any reason, contact your local

Utility Construction Specialist.

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The trench must be backfilled.

Interior gas piping has been air tested and meets the requirements of your local jurisdiction (e.g. inspections and permits that may be required).

Meter location is clear of scaffold, equipment and debris and not within 3’ of any vent, door window or opening to interior of building. The service regulator is not within 6’ of any power vent. Additionally, there is no opening within 10’ vertically of the regulator.

To insure the proper functioning and accuracy of the meter the entire set must be level, house piping tied into the meter bar (unless the builder has a current Service

Tie In Agreement), all fittings tightened, gauges removed and gaskets in place.

Each appliance must have a shut off valve and be capped, if it is not already hooked up.

In order to install the correct size meter, Black Hills Energy will need a breakdown of the total BTU load for the building/home.

BHE will not light the appliances after the gas has been turned on.

Please contact your local Utility Construction Specialist for special circumstances listed below to verify further requirements and costs:

If the meter is to be set at 2#.

If a manifold with multiple meters is to be installed.

If a Large Volume meter is to be installed there will be further requirements and costs assessed prior to being able to begin the install process.

After the meter is installed, if there are any changes to the BTU load that was supplied on the Meter Request Form that affects the size of the service line or meter needed, the builder will be responsible for the total cost to change out our equipment. For this reason, it is best practice to have an accurate BTU load calculation and breakdown prior to installation.

Please note that in the event BHE arrives to install a meter, and the install requirements have not been met or there are unsafe conditions, BHE will not install the meter, a trip fee will be assessed (current pricing will be supplied to you by your local UCS), and it will be your responsibility to call your local office to reschedule.

5. Customer Responsibility after Installation

Plastic natural gas pipelines cannot be located with metal detectors. The small wires

(tracer wire) that are run with the gas service and attached to the meter loop are used to locate the gas service line below ground. These wires must not be removed or cut.

Please contact BHE if inadvertent damage to the tracer wire has occurred.

It is the customer’s responsibility to keep snow and ice away from the gas meter set during harsh winter months. Use a broom to gently brush the snow and ice away from the meter. Do not use shovels or sharp objects as they may damage the pipes; this may create a safety hazard. Do not use a snow blower/snow plow near the meter set and piping. Do not use de-icer or hot liquids to remove snow & ice off of the meter and piping.

If the meter set is heavily encased in ice and is difficult to remove, please call BHE for assistance at 888-890-5554.

If you suspect damage to the meter or piping, or smell gas, call 800-694-8989.

Black Hills Energy reserves the right to modify the requirements found in this document or any of its service policies, procedures and/or standards at any time. It is the responsibility of the Customer to ensure that any reference document is the version currently approved for use by BHE

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