This section covers individual customers that will be served underground from the overhead secondary. There are two types of services in this category, Company installed and Customer owned underground services. For residential services 400 amps or less the Company may install the conductors. All residential three phase services, residential services over 400 amps and all commercial services shall be Customer installed and owned. For residential services 400 amps or less the Customer can, at their option, install their own service.

For 200 amps or less the Customer will be required to furnish and install the meter riser conduit and a 90 degree bend, for all new underground residential services. The conduit shall be three (3) inch schedule 40 PVC, and the conduit bend shall have a minimum radius of twenty four (24) inches. The conduit shall be installed in accordance with figure in Requirements 12.14 and 12.16, and shall be attached to the building with conduit straps at the specified locations.

For 400 amps (320A socket) the Customer will be required to furnish and install the meter riser conduit and a 90 degree bend, for all new underground residential services. The conduit shall be four (4) inch schedule 40 PVC, and the conduit bend shall have a minimum radius of thirty six (36) inches. The conduit shall be installed in accordance with figure in Requirements 12.14 and 12.16, and shall be attached to the building with conduit straps at the specified locations.

The customer's ground rod shall not be installed directly beneath the meter socket for an underground service, as it will get in the way when the trench is dug, and may inadvertently become disconnected.

Underground service runs may be placed in the same trench with telephone and/or cable TV; any other facilities including any customer-owned cables will not be allowed in the same trench when the company installs the underground service cable. The company will not permit the installation of its facilities in a common trench with water or gas lines unless previously agreed upon with the aforementioned utility. GPU Energy recommends electric and gas services should be located on opposite sides of the building, whenever practical, to avoid facility conflicts. (See Requirement 4.20 for additional details regarding clearance from other utilities.).

Supply cable shall not be installed within five feet of a swimming pool or its auxiliary equipment. The cable shall not be installed directly under buildings, patios, decks or storage tank foundations.

COMPANY INSTALLED RESIDENTIAL UNDERGROUND SERVICE

In overhead secondary areas of New Jersey where municipal ordinance requires (or the customer desires) an underground service connection and the service size is 400 amps or less, there are two (2) options available for new residential customers.

1. The Customer can provide the trenching, select bedding, select backfill and/or conduit and the Company will install, own , and maintain an underground service cable without charge, subject to voltage drop limitations. (NOTE: This option is not available in areas with rear lot electrical facilities. Underground secondary service in such areas must be customer owned.)

2. Customers can pay a fixed differential charge, for which the Company will install,own, and maintain an underground service cable. (NOTE This option is not available in areas with rear lot electrical facilities; underground secondary service in such areas must be customer owned.)

In overhead secondary areas of Pennsylvania, for services that are 400 amps or less, where municipal ordinance requires (or the customer desires) an underground service connection the customer is required to provide the trenching, select bedding, select backfill and/or conduit. The Company will install, own, and maintain the underground service cable. For services less than 75 feet there is no charge. For distances greater than 75 feet charges will be calculated as per the applicable Met-Ed or Penelec tariff. (NOTE: This option is not available in areas with rear lot electrical facilities; underground secondary service in such areas must be customer owned.)

When a Customer does their own trenching, the Customer will be responsible for furnishing and installing the first ten (10) feet of the secondary riser at the pole (fiberglass or schedule 80 PVC conduit), on the side designated by the Company, as shown in figure in Requirements 12.18. The company also requires the Customer to furnish and install three (3) inch schedule 40 PVC conduit or Company approved flex type conduit for the entire service length. (EXCEPTION: This requirement can be waived at the discretion of the local Customer Operations Center, where there are favorable soil and digging conditions for direct burial; however, the Customer must still furnish conduit beneath any paved areas or where there is a high water table.) In New Jersey, if the customer is unwilling to provide the trenching and backfill, then the Company will charge for the installation of the underground service. The Company must always be consulted regarding its specifications and riser location before installations of this type are started.

Residential customers with existing overhead secondary service that wish to convert to underground secondary service will be required to pay for the removal of the existing service, as well as the installation of the underground service. In New Jersey, if the customer elects to furnish the trenching, conduit and backfill, the charges will be reduced accordingly. In Pennsylvania the customer shall provide the trenching, conduit and backfill. The Customer shall be responsible for all surface and landscape restoration.

The Customer must notify the Company five (5) working days prior to trenching for a company-owned service. Select bedding and backfill (when required) and backfilling equipment must be on-site before the company installs cable.

CUSTOMER-OWNED UNDERGROUND SERVICE

All nonresidential underground services must be customer-owned. Any residential underground secondary service greater than 400 amps must also be customer-owned. Any three phase residential services will also be customer owned. All services shall be installed according to the appropriate local, municipal and NEC codes.

In New Jersey, whenever the installation of a customer owned service will require excavation within State Highway right-of-way, a Utility Opening Permit must be obtained by GPU Energy from the NJDOT. GPU Energy will execute for the customer an "Agreement for Obtaining Utility Opening Permit". The customer will be required to pay the associated fee to the Company. The time required for the NJDOT to process a Utility Opening permit is approximately two months.

Galvanized steel conduit, Schedule 80 PVC, or fiberglass conduit meeting Company specifications, with a minimum diameter of three (3) inches, shall be installed on a quarter of the pole designated by the Company, and extend up the pole approximately ten (10) feet. Only 3, 4, 5 or 6 inch diameter conduit will be accepted by the Company; 1/2 inch sizes (e.g., 3 1/2" diameter) are not permissible. Under special circumstances the company may approve 2 inch conduit for traffic signals, bill boards etc, check for approval before installing 2 inch conduit.

Pole riser brackets, when required, will be furnished by the Company and installed by the Contractor beneath the coupling at the top of the ten (10) foot riser section, and one (1) foot below final grade, in accordance with figure in Requirement 12.20. Additional brackets above this level will be installed by the Company. Conduit straps shall only be used for a maximum of one conduit per pole. If two or three conduits are to be installed then standoff brackets shall be used. A maximum of three, five inch conduits will be permitted on a pole; metallic conduit on the pole shall also be grounded in accordance with NEC requirements.

Contractors shall provide sufficient cable to reach the Company's mains at the top of the pole, and shall temporarily seal the end of the pole riser with duct seal. The conduit and cable shall also be made watertight at the building entrance by the use of duct seal, if the service entrance is below grade.

For additional information on the installation of conduit by the customer ask your GPU representative for the "Specification for Residential Customer Underground Service Conduit" (Distribution Engineering Practice 11-205 or GPU Form # B0708). This information is also available on line at www.gpu.com, look under Points of Interest and select Installation Guideline Handouts.

The recommended minimum size service cable is #2 copper or equivalent, with a 600 volt rating. The Company recommends that the Customer installs conduit but cable approved for direct burial may be used without conduit protection if it meets NEC and applicable municipal/local codes. However, it is recommended that conduit be installed beneath driveways and other paved areas, extending 2 feet beyond the edge of the pavement, to facilitate future cable replacements. The Customer shall be responsible for furnishing and installing such conduit. The cable must be buried at a minimum depth of 30" for its entire length.

All exposed, metered service cable installed in a marina with individual metering for adjacent boat slips (i.e., cable attached directly beneath a wooden dock) must be placed in schedule 40 PVC, or schedule 40 ABS conduit.

End of Specification:

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