Gas Pipeline Safety in Ohio

Gas Infrastructure in Ohio

Ohio has one of the most extensive gas distribution networks in the Midwest, served primarily by Columbia Gas of Ohio and Dominion Energy Ohio across a state with dense urban centers and sprawling suburban communities. Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati each host aging distribution systems with significant inventories of cast iron and bare steel mains installed in the mid-twentieth century or earlier. The state's long history as an industrial and residential gas consumer means its infrastructure reflects multiple generations of technology, materials, and installation standards.

Key Risk Factors

Ohio's most significant pipeline safety challenge is the volume of cast iron and bare steel mains still in service in Cleveland, Columbus, and other older cities — materials that corrode, crack, and fail at higher rates than modern plastic or coated steel. The 2019 Columbia Gas of Massachusetts disaster (involving a related Columbia Gas entity) brought national scrutiny to aging distribution systems that Ohio's own utilities share characteristics with. Freeze-thaw cycles across Ohio's variable winters also stress joints and service connections throughout the distribution network each year.

Incident Patterns

Ohio's incident data shows elevated rates of corrosion-related failures in older urban neighborhoods where cast iron and bare steel mains remain in service, particularly in inner-ring Cleveland and Columbus suburbs. Third-party excavation damage is also a persistent contributor, driven by high construction activity in growing suburban corridors. You can explore all incidents in Ohio on our site.

Regulatory Oversight

Gas distribution utilities in Ohio are regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which oversees safety standards, infrastructure replacement programs, and rate cases for investor-owned utilities across the state. Before any digging project, Ohio residents and contractors must call Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS) to have underground utilities marked — it's the law and it saves lives.

Stay Safe

• Learn the signs of a gas leak
• Know what to do if you smell gas
• Understand how gas leak detectors work