Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 199 - Utilities Division › Utilities and Transportation Divisions › Chapter 19 - Service Supplied by Gas Utilities › Rule 199-19.1 - General Information

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
(1)
Authorization of rules.
Iowa Code chapter 476 provides that
				the Iowa utilities commission shall establish all needful, just and reasonable
				rules, not inconsistent with law, to govern the exercise of its powers and
				duties, the practice and procedure before it, and to govern the form, contents
				and filing of reports, documents and other papers necessary to carry out the
				provisions of this law.
Iowa Code chapter 479 provides that the Iowa utilities
				  commission shall have full authority and power to promulgate rules as it deems
				  proper and expedient in the supervision of the transportation or transmission
				  and underground storage of gas within the state of Iowa.
The application of the rules in this chapter to municipally
				  owned utilities furnishing gas is limited by Iowa Code section
				  476.1B.
(2)
Application of rules.
The rules shall apply to any gas utility
				operating within the state of Iowa as defined in Iowa Code chapter 476 and
				shall supersede any tariff on file with this commission which is in conflict
				with these rules. These rules are intended to promote safe and adequate service
				to the public, to provide standards for uniform and reasonable practices by
				utilities, and to establish a basis for determining the reasonableness of such
				demands as may be made by the public upon the utilities. A request to waive the
				application of any rule on a permanent or temporary basis may be made in
				accordance with rule 199-1.3 (17A,474,476). The adoption of these rules shall
				in no way preclude the commission from altering or amending them, pursuant to
				statute, or from making such modifications with respect to their application as
				may be found necessary to meet exceptional conditions. These regulations shall
				in no way relieve any utility from any of its duties under the laws of this
				state.
(3)
Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in these
				rules shall have the meaning indicated below:
The abbreviations used, and their meanings, are as
				  follows:
Btu-British thermal unit
LP-Gas-Liquefied Petroleum Gas
psig-Pounds per Square Inch, Gauge
W.C.-Water Column
"Appliance"
refers to any device which
				  utilizes gas fuel to produce light, heat or power.
"CFR"
means the Code of Federal Regulations,
				  which contains the general administrative rules adopted by federal departments
				  and agencies, in effect as of December 22, 2021, unless a separate effective
				  date is identified in a specific rule.
"Commission"
means the Iowa utilities
				  commission.
"Complaint"
as used in these rules is a
				  statement or question by anyone, whether a utility customer or not, alleging a
				  wrong, grievance, injury, dissatisfaction, illegal action or procedure,
				  dangerous condition or action, or utility failure to fulfill an
				  obligation.
"Cubic foot"
of gas has the following
				  meanings:
1. Where gas is supplied and
				metered to customers at the pressure (as defined in 19.7(2)) normally used for
				domestic customers' appliances, a cubic foot of gas shall be that quantity of
				gas which, at the temperature and pressure existing in the meter, occupies one
				cubic foot, except that where a temperature compensated meter is used, the
				temperature base shall be 60°F.
2. When gas is supplied to customers at other
				than the pressure in (1) above, the utility shall specify in its rules the base
				for measurement of a cubic foot of gas (see 19.2(4)
"c"
(6)).
				Unless otherwise stated by the utility, such cubic foot of gas shall be that
				quantity of gas which, at a temperature of 60°F and a pressure of 14.73
				pounds per square inch absolute, occupies one cubic foot.
3. The standard cubic foot of gas for testing
				the gas itself for heating value shall be that quantity of gas, saturated with
				water vapor, which, at a temperature of 60°F and a pressure of 30 inches of
				mercury, occupies one cubic foot. (Temperature of mercury = 32°F
				acceleration due to gravity = 32.17 ft. per second per second density = 13.595
				grams per cubic centimeter.)
"Customer"
means any person, firm,
				  association, or corporation, any agency of the federal, state or local
				  government, or legal entity responsible by law for payment for the gas service
				  or heat from the gas utility.
"Delinquent"
or
"delinquency"
means an account for which a service bill or
				  service payment agreement has not been paid in full on or before the last day
				  for timely payment.
"Gas,"
unless otherwise specifically
				  designated, means manufactured gas, natural gas, other hydrocarbon gases, or
				  any mixture of gases produced, transmitted, distributed or furnished by any gas
				  utility.
"Gas plant"
means all facilities including
				  all real estate, fixtures and property owned, controlled, operated or managed
				  by a gas utility for the production, storage, transmission and distribution of
				  gas and heat.
"Heating and calorific values."
The
				  following values shall be used:
1.
"British thermal unit"
(Btu) is the quantity of heat that must
				be added to one avoirdupois pound of pure water to raise its temperature from
				58.5°F to 59.5°F under standard pressure.
2.
"Dry calorific value"
of
				a gas (total or net) is the value of the total or the net calorific value of
				the gas divided by the volume of dry gas in a standard cubic foot.
NOTE: The amount of dry gas in a standard cubic foot is .9826
				  cubic foot.
3.
"Net
				calorific value"
of a gas is the number of British thermal units
				evolved by the complete combustion, at constant pressure, of one standard cubic
				foot of gas with air, the temperature of the gas, air, and products of
				combustion being 60°F and all water formed by the combustion reaction
				remaining in the vapor state.
NOTE: The net calorific value of a gas is its total calorific
				  value minus the latent heat of evaporation at standard temperature of the water
				  formed by the combustion reaction.
4.
"Therm"
means 100,000
				British thermal units.
5.
"Total calorific value"
of a gas is the number of British
				thermal units evolved by the complete combustion, at constant pressure, of one
				standard cubic foot of gas with air, the temperature of the gas, air and
				products of combustion being 60°F and all water formed by the combustion
				reaction condensed to the liquid state.
"Interruption of service"
means any
				  disturbance of the gas supply whereby gas service to a customer cannot be
				  maintained.
"Loss factor"
as used in rule 199-19.10 (476)
				  means test-year purchases less test-year sales. A five-year average of
				  purchases less sales may be used if the test year is determined by the
				  commission to be abnormal.
"Main"
means a gas pipe, owned, operated, or
				  maintained by a utility, which is used for the purpose of transmission or
				  distribution of gas, but does not include "service line".
"Meter,"
without other qualification, shall
				  mean any device or instrument which is used by a utility in measuring a
				  quantity of gas.
"Meter shop"
is a shop where meters are
				  inspected, repaired and tested, and may be at a fixed location or may be
				  mobile.
"Pressure,"
unless otherwise stated, is
				  expressed in pounds per square inch above atmospheric pressure, i.e., gauge
				  pressure (abbreviation-psig).
"Rate-regulated utility"
means any utility
				  as defined in the definition of "utility" below which is subject to rate
				  regulation provided for in Iowa Code chapter 476.
"Service line"
means a distribution line
				  that transports gas from a common source of supply to a customer meter or the
				  connection to a customer's piping, whichever is farther downstream, or the
				  connection to a customer's piping if there is not a customer meter. A customer
				  meter is the meter that measures the transfer of gas from a utility to a
				  customer.
"Tap"
or
"town border
				  station"
means the delivery point or measuring station at which a gas
				  distribution utility receives gas from a natural gas transmission
				  company.
"Tariff"
means the entire body of rates,
				  tolls, rentals, charges, classifications, rules, procedures, policies, etc.,
				  adopted and filed with the commission by a gas utility in fulfilling its role
				  of furnishing gas service.
"Timely payment"
is a payment on a
				  customer's account made on or before the date shown on a current bill for
				  service or on a form which records an agreement between the customer and a
				  utility for a series of partial payments to settle a delinquent account, as the
				  date which determines application of a late payment charge to the current bill
				  or future collection efforts.
"Utility"
means any person, partnership,
				  business association, or corporation, domestic or foreign, owning or operating
				  any facilities for furnishing gas or heat to the public for
				  compensation.