Buried in yards throughout St. Peters are electrical and cable wires, telephone lines, and natural gas and petroleum pipelines. Although cutting a wire could be serious and expensive to repair, rupturing or otherwise damaging a pipeline could pose a significant risk to public safety and to the environment. Excavation damage could also cause interruption to vital services to your community and can involve tremendous repair costs.

Construction work in proximity to a pipeline can affect the integrity and safety of underground pipelines. The primary tool for avoiding damage to underground facilities is timely communication between excavators and the owners of the facilities. Most damage to pipelines is avoidable through the use of the Missouri One Call System. Missouri One Call facilitates this communication process by enabling an excavator to place just one call, prior to digging, to request that all underground facilities in the area of a planned excavation be located and marked. The Missouri One Call System is a free public service established to provide underground utility marking for those who plan to dig or excavate.

If You Live near a Pipeline and Have an Excavation Project

Before you dig, call Missouri One Call and the City of St. Peters.

The primary tool for avoiding damage to underground facilities is timely communication between excavators and the owners of the facilities. It is important to Call Before You Dig and Dig Safely. Missouri One Call centers to facilitate this communication process by enabling an excavator to place just one call, prior to digging, to request that all underground facilities in the area of a planned excavation be located and marked.

St. Peters' ordinance requires a "notification (PDF)" application be submitted to the City before excavation can occur within 25 feet of the pipeline. The application must be submitted not less than 2 days prior to the work and not more than 10 days prior. There is no fee for the application, however, it is required to be submitted and subject to a penalty for failure to apply. The notice then gets posted to the City's website and email notifications of the application are provided to anyone who has voluntarily signed up to be on the notification list.

To sign up for automatic email notifications for excavations near a pipeline, view and fill out the email notification at the bottom of that page. Whenever a new Excavation Notification permit is received and posted on our website, you will receive a link to the request by email so you can keep up-to-date.

St. Peters residents without email capability, can call 636-278-2244 or 636-477-6600 to make arrangements for other notifications.

Property owners living along pipelines have a responsibility for doing their part to maintain the safety of the pipelines. Be responsible and please, excavate with care.

If You Suspect a Leak from an Oil Pipeline

Leave the area immediately.

The following information is taken from a safety pamphlet distributed by Enbridge Energy Partners L.P., a leader in energy transportation in the Mid-Continent and Gulf Coast regions of the United States:

If you are in a motorized vehicle or are operating equipment, you should turn off the ignition and walk away upwind if possible. Evacuate the area and warn others to stay away. From a safe area, call your local fire and law enforcement departments (911) and (for Enbridge pipelines) the toll-free Enbridge emergency number 800-858-5253).

It is important that you not make contact with crude oil and avoid breathing in vapors. Crude oil can be flammable if concentrated.

Never attempt to operate pipeline valves. This could actually prolong an incident or even cause another leak in the pipeline.

St. Peters' City Code

View St. Peters City Code related to pipelines. (SECTION 405.593: EXCAVATION NEAR PIPELINES)