Chapter 06: Water Supply And Distribution (Part 2)

Chapter 6: WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION (Part 2)

Section 604 – MATERIALS

604.1 Water pressure pipes shall be copper, centrifugal cast iron (CCI), B & S and F & F ends, ductile cast iron (DCI), galvanized wrought iron, galvanized steel, or other approved PE & PVC water pressure pipe manufactured to recognized standards may be used for cold water distribution systems. CPVC water pipe and tubing may be used for hot and cold water distribution systems within a building. All materials used in the water supply system, except valves and similar devices, shall be of a like material, except where otherwise approved by the Administrative Authority.

604.2 Cast iron fittings up to and including S 1 mm in size, when used in connection with potable water piping, shall be galvanized.

604.3 All small-sized malleable iron water fittings shall be galvanized.

604.4 Piping and tubing which were previously used for any purpose other than for potable water systems shall not be used.

604.5 Approved plastic materials may be used in water service piping, provided that where metal water service piping is used for electrical grounding purpose and replacement piping therefore shall be of like materials.

Exception: Where a grounding system, acceptable to the Administrative Authority, is installed, inspected, and approved, metallic pipe may be replaced with non-metallic pipe.

604.6 Solder shall conform to the requirements of Section 1302.4.

60·1. 7 Water pipes and fittings with a lead content that exceed eight (8) percent
shall be prohibited and not used in potable piping systems.

Section 605 – VALVES

605.1 Valves up to and including 51 mm in size shall be brass or other approved materials. Sizes over 51 mm may have cast iron or brass bodies. Each gate valve shall be a fullway type with working parts of non-corrosive materials.

605.2 A fullway gate valve controlling all outlets shall be installed on the discharge side of each water meter and on each unmetered water supply. Water supply piping supplying more than one building in any premise shall be equipped with a separate fullway gate valve to each building so arranged that the water supply can be turned on or off to any individual or separate building accessory thereto, provided however, that supply piping to a single-family residence and building accessory thereto may be controlled by one gate valve. Such shutoff gate valves shall be accessible at all times. A gate valve shall be installed on the discharge piping from water supply tanks at or near the tank. A fullway gate valve shall be installed on the cold water supply pipe to each water heater near the water heater. A fullway gate valve shall be installed for each apartment or dwelling occupied by more than one family. In addition to the main supply shutoff valve for each apartment, individual shutoff gate valves shall be provided for each fixture.

605.3 A valve used to control two (2) or more openings shall be a fullway gate valve.

605.4 Control gate valves shall be installed before each water-supplied appliance, slip joint, and supply piping for non-metallic fixtures and appliances.

605.5 All required shutoff or control valves shall be accessible.

605.6 A single control gate valve shall be installed in a water supply line ahead of any automatic metering which supplies a battery of fixtures.

Section 606 – GRAVITY SUPPLY TANKS

606.1 Elevated or gravity storage tanks for potable water supply shall be tightly covered to keep out unauthorized persons, dirt, and vermin. The covers of gravity tanks shall be vented with a return-bend vent pipe having an area not less than the area of the down-feed riser pipe, and the vent shall be screened with a fine corrosion-resistant screen with openings not less than 14 nor more than 18 meshes per 25 mm.

606.2 Potable water inlets to gravity tanks shall be controlled by a float valve, float switch, or electrode-type water level control to prevent the tank from overflowing.

606.3 Gravity tanks shall be provided with a valved drain pipe and an overflow pipe screened as described in Subsection 606.1.

Section 607 – WATER PRESSURE, PRESSURE REGULATORS, AND PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES

607.1 Inadequate Water Pressure – Whenever the water pressure in the main or other source of supply will not provide a water pressure of at least 103 kPa, after allowing for friction and other pressure losses, a hydro-pneumatic pressure tank or an elevated tank and booster pump will provide the required 103 kPa pressure.

607.2 Excessive Water Pressure – Where the local water pressure is in excess of 551 kPa, an approved-type pressure regulator, preceded by an adequately sized strainer, shall be installed to reduce the pressure on the building side of the regulator to the required supply pressure. Approved regulators with integral bypasses are acceptable. Each such regulator and strainer shall be accessibly located and have the strainer readily accessible for cleaning without removing the regulator or strainer body or disconnecting the supply piping. All pipe size determinations shall be based on eighty (80) percent of the reduced pressure when using Table 6-6.

607.3 Any water distributing system provided with a pressure regulating device or check valve at its source, or any water system containing storage water heating equipment, shall be provided with an approved, listed, adequately sized pressure relief valve with approved drain, except for listed non-storage instantaneous heaters having an inside diameter of not more than 76 mm.

607.4 In addition to the required pressure relief valve, an approved and listed expansion tank or other device designed for intermittent operation for thermal expansion control shall be installed whenever the building supply pressure is greater than the required relief valve pressure setting, or when any device is installed that prevents pressure relief through the building water supply. The tank or device shall be sized in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

607.5 Each pressure relief valve shall be an approved automatic type with drain, and each such relief valve shall be set at a pressure of not more than 1031 kPa. Relief valves located inside a building shall be provided with a drain, adequately sized and not smaller than the relief valve outlet, made of galvanized steel, hard drawn piping and fittings, copper tubing or polybutylene with fittings which will not reduce the internal bore of the pipe or tubing (straight lengths as opposed to coils), and shall extend from the valve to the outside of the building with the end of the pipe not more than 0.6m nor less than 152 mm above the ground and pointing downward. Such drains may terminate at other approved locations. No part of such drainpipe shall be trapped, and the terminal end of the drainpipe shall not be threaded nor capped.

604.2 Any water-heating device connected to a separate elevated or pressure-type storage tank and having valves between said heater and tank shall be provided with an approved water pressure relief valve.

607.7 Nothing contained herein shall prevent the use of an approved combination temperature and pressure relief valve (CT & PRV). Each such approved CT & PRV shall be installed on the water heating device in an approved location based on its listing requirements and the manufacturer’s instructions. Each such CT & PRV shall be provided with a drain as required in Subsection 607.5.

Section 608 – INSTALLATION, INSPECTION, AND TESTING

608.1 Installation – All water piping shall be adequately supported to the satisfaction of the Administrative Authority. Burred ends shall be reamed to the full bore of the pipe or tube. Changes in direction shall be made by the appropriate use of fittings, except that changes in direction in copper tubing may be made with bends provided that they are made with proper bending equipment that does not deform or create a loss in cross-sectional area of the tubing. Provisions shall be made for expansion in hot water piping. All piping, equipment, appurtenances, and devices shall be installed in a workmanlike manner in conformity with the provisions and intent of this Code. All water service yard piping shall be at least 0.3 m below the finished ground level.

608.2 Water pipes shall not be run or laid in the same trench as building sewer or storm drainage piping constructed of clay or materials not approved for use within the building, unless both of the following conditions are met:

608.2.1 The bottom of the water pipe at all points shall be at least 0.3 m above the top of the sewer or drain line.

608.2.2 The water pipe shall be placed on a solid shelf excavated at one side of the common trench with a minimum clear horizontal distance between the sides of at least 0.3 m from the side of the sewer or drain line and the water line.

608.2.3Water pipes crossing sewer or drainage piping constructed of clay or materials not approved for use within a building shall be laid a minimum of 0.3 m above the sewer or drainpipe.

608.3 Water piping installed within a building and in or under a concrete floor slab resting on the ground shall be installed in accordance with the following requirements:

608.3.1 Ferrous piping shall have an outside protective coating of an approved material, machine-applied and conforming to recognized standards. Field bituminous coating and wrapping shall provide equivalent protection, and application is restricted to those short pipe lengths at points of connection with fittings necessarily stripped for threading and jointing. Zinc coating (galvanized) shall not be deemed adequate outside protection for ferrous piping or fittings. Approved non-ferrous piping, such as plastic tubes and pipes, need not be wrapped for rustproofing.

608.3.2 Copper tubing shall be installed without joints where possible. Where joints are permitted, they shall be brazed, and fittings shall be wrought copper. Copper tubing shall be fully externally protected with bituminous coating and fiberglass wrapping and installed inside a split rigid casing whenever installed underground.

Note: For the purpose of this section, “within the building” shall mean within the fixed limits of the building foundation.

608.3 Plastic piping shall be installed in accordance with applicable sections found elsewhere in this Code.

608.4 Inspection – No water supply system or portion thereof shall be covered or concealed until it has been first inspected, tested, and approved.

608.5 Testing – Water piping shall be tested and approved as provided in Section 501.

608.6 Unions – Unions shall be installed in the water supply piping within 0.3 meters away from regulating equipment, water heater, conditioning tank, and similar equipment that requires removal for servicing or replacement.

Section 609 – SIZE OF POTABLE WATER PIPING

609.1 The size of the water meter and the immediate piping from the meter or from any other source of unmetered water supply to the risers, fixture supply branches, fixture connections, outlets, or other uses shall be based on the total water demand and shall be determined according to the methods and procedures outlined in this section.

609.2 Whenever a water filter, water softener, or similar water treating device, backflow prevention device, or similar devices are installed in a water supply line, the pressure loss through such devices must be included in the pressure loss calculations of the system, and the water supply pipe and meter shall be adequately sized to provide for such pressure losses.

609.2.1 No water filter, water softener, backflow prevention device, or similar devices regulated by this Code shall be installed in any potable water supply piping when the diameter of the inlet and/or outlet of any such device or its connecting piping is less than the diameter of the water supply distribution piping or when the pressure drop produced by such devices is excessive in the water supply piping system.

609.2.2 All such devices shall be of types approved by the Administrative Authority and tested for flow ratings and pressure losses by an approved laboratory or recognized testing agency against standards consistent with this Chapter. The maximum rated flow and the pressure loss shall be stamped legibly on the device or on a metal label permanently attached to the device, and shall be in the following form:

TABLE 6-3

MAXIMUM PRESSURE DROP