Residents and business will see Atmos Energy employees and a third-party contractor along the route of the pipe. Our contractor will provide residents and businesses with project information and answer any questions you might have.

Our pipe is located within public right-of-way and private easements that span across Dallas County. You’ve probably noticed white and yellow markers on or near your property that indicate the approximate location of the pipe.

Just like roads, bridges, water systems, and other infrastructure, natural gas systems must be replaced and modernized over time. 

A typical project includes multiple phases. Phase 1 is to survey the location of the current pipe and gather information about its proximity to nearby structures and other utility lines. Engineering, detailed survey, and subsurface utility studies along the right-of-way will begin afterward. Phase 2 involves working closely with property owners to discuss right-of-way preparation and preconstruction activities. Phase 3 includes construction and replacement of the pipe. When construction is complete, Phase 4 will include restoration of the area.

We will work closely with communities and property owners to keep you informed throughout this process. Because of construction sequencing, some areas will begin construction sooner than others.

The answer depends on several factors, including the location of your property in relation to the pipe and the location of any obstacles (referred to as encroachments) within the right-of-way. Once the detailed survey and engineering work is complete, we will work with individual landowners to determine what steps can be taken to minimize any impact. This process will be facilitated by an Atmos Energy third-party contractor. Residents should be aware that excavation within the right-of-way may be necessary along  the replacement work. This may require that obstacles within the right-of-way be removed.

The easement is a publicly recorded document in the real property record of Dallas County, and pipe rights-of-way are often shown on subdivision plats or property boundary surveys. The pipe itself is identified by pipeline markers. Federal law requires these markers to be placed along the right-of-way and prohibits anyone from tampering with, defacing, damaging, or removing a pipe marker.

The easement that affects your property is a written agreement, recorded in the public records, that grants a property right to Atmos Energy or its predecessor to allow the construction, replacement, operation, and maintenance of one or more pipes across a particular property. It is a perpetual right that “runs with the land” and is binding on current and all future property owners.

The right-of-way is the specific area identified in the easement within which Atmos Energy can construct, replace, operate, and maintain its facilities. A survey is usually required to determine the exact boundaries and width of the right-of-way that affects a particular property. The easement itself will tell you the extent of the right-of-way.

Excavation activities within the right-of-way may include clearing trees, vegetation, and brush. Keeping trees, shrubs, buildings, fences, and other structures and encroachments off the pipe right-of-way is important to its operation and maintenance

Maintenance personnel must be able to easily and safely access the pipe right-of-way and areas on either side of the pipe. Over time, tree growth may inhibit Atmos Energy’s ability to access the pipe quickly in the event of an emergency, conduct required right-of-way surveillance and leak surveys or perform routine maintenance in accordance with required federal/state inspections. In addition, the root systems of many trees and large shrubs can grow against or around pipes, damaging the coating and even denting the pipeline.

Each encroachment will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to evaluate the impact to Atmos Energy’s ability to construct this project, as well as its ongoing ability to safely operate, maintain, and repair the new pipe in the future.

During the construction phase, traffic may be temporarily rerouted to accommodate construction equipment. Work will be performed in accordance with local ordinances and standards to minimize disruption. Work immediately adjacent to public schools is anticipated to be performed during the summer months. Atmos Energy will work with municipal services, such as garbage collection, to keep disruptions to these services as minimal as possible.

Yes, we have and will continue to work closely with local officials to keep them informed about our pipe replacement projects.