Safe, reliable natural gas is extracted from the Earth. It travels to your community through underground transmission pipelines.
The National Transportation Safety Board says pipelines are the safest way to transport gas.
When natural gas reaches your community, a local distribution company such as Alliant Energy reduces the gas pressure and adds an odorant. The odorant gives natural gas a rotten egg smell to help detect gas leaks.
Inside your community, the natural gas travels through pipelines called mains. Mains are often buried underneath or along streets. From there, a smaller service line, approximately half an inch to 1 inch in diameter, brings the natural gas to your meter. Those lines are buried in yards.
After the gas passes through a meter, it belongs to you, the customer. You are responsible for installing and maintaining the piping through which natural gas flows to reach appliances and equipment for heat, hot water and cooking.
Learn how to live and work safely around natural gas on our Gas Safety page.