R746-320-2. Quality Control Equipment, Standards, Records and Reports

A. Testing Equipment and Facilities --

1. Utilities shall own and maintain or have access to the testing equipment necessary to make Commission-required tests of the gas sold by the utilities. The Commission may approve arrangements for individual utilities to have their testing done by another utility or competent party.

2. Utilities shall properly maintain testing equipment which shall be subject to Commission inspection. The Commission may inspect the testing equipment at reasonable times.

3. Utilities shall locate and use testing equipment so as to ensure that gas samples taken are fairly representative of the gas being distributed in the portion of the system being tested.

B. Heating Value --

1. Utilities shall file with the Commission, as part of their tariffs, the range within which the average heating value per unit of gas to be sold will fall.

2. Utilities shall maintain the heating value established in their tariffs and in so doing shall regulate the chemical composition and specific gravity of the gas so as to maintain satisfactory combustion in customers' appliances without repeated adjustment of the burners.

3. When utilities distribute supplemental or substitute gas, they shall ensure that it performs satisfactorily regardless of heating value.

C. Heating Value Tests, Records, and Reports --

1. Utilities shall make sufficient tests, or have access to tests made by their suppliers, to accurately determine the heating value of the gas sold.

2. Tests shall be made at a location, or locations, which will ensure the samples taken fairly represent the gas being furnished to the utilities and their customers. Test reports shall be available for review when requested by the Commission.

D. BTU Measurement Equipment --

1. Utilities shall maintain or have access to an approved type calorimeter in an adequate testing station as specified in Subsection R746-320-2(C)(1). Utilities may use an approved recording calorimeter which shall be checked at least once each month with an approved standard calorimeter or against a standard gas.

2. Both calorimeter and method of testing shall be subject to Commission inspection.

3. Utilities may use BTU measuring equipment other than calorimeters upon petition to and approval by the Commission.

E. Gas Odor -- Gas supplied to customers shall be odorized in accordance with 49 CFR 192.625, which is incorporated by this reference.

F. Purity of Gas -- Gas supplied to customers shall contain no more than 75 to 80 parts per million of total sulfur. Gas shall be free of water and hydrocarbons in liquid form at the temperature and pressure at which the gas is delivered.

G. Standard Delivery Pressure -- Standard Delivery Pressure shall be four ounces above local atmospheric pressure. Maximum and minimum low pressure delivery pressures shall conform to 49 CFR 192.623, which is incorporated by reference.

H. Pressure Testing and Maintenance of Standards --

1. Utilities shall make every reasonable effort to maintain adequate gas pressure. Utilities shall make determinations and keep records of pressures adequate to enable the utilities at all times to have accurate current knowledge of the pressure existing in their distribution systems. Pressure records shall be properly identified, dated, and filed in the utilities' records.

2. Utilities shall periodically test and maintain the accuracy of any recording pressure gauges.

3. Pressure limiting and regulator stations shall comply with 49 CFR 192.741, which is incorporated by this reference.