Chapter 6: Water Supply and Distribution

Section 601 – Running Water Required

 Each plumbing fixture shall be provided with an adequate supply of potable running water, so
arranged as to flush and keep same in clean and healthful conditions without danger of
backflow or cross-connection.
 Water closets and urinals shall be flushed by means of an approved flush tank or flushometer
valve.
 Faucets and diverters shall be connected to the hot and cold-water distribution supplies so that
the hot water supply is located at left side of the combination fittings.

Section 602 – Unlawful Connections

 602.1 – No installation of potable water supply piping or part thereof shall be made in such a
manner that it will be possible for used, unclean, polluted, or contaminated water, mixtures, or
substances to enter any portion of such piping system from any tank, receptacle, equipment, or
plumbing fixture by reason of back-siphonage, by suction or any other cause, either during
normal use and operation thereof or when any such tank, receptable, equipment, or plumbing
fixture is flooded, or subject to pressure in excess of the operating pressure in the hot or cold
water piping.

 602.2 – No person shall make a connection or allow one to exist between pipes carrying
domestic water supplied by any public or private water service system and any pipe, conduits or
fixture containing or carrying water from any other purposes or any piping carrying chemicals,
liquid gases, or any substances unless there is provided an approved backflow prevention
device.

 602. 3 – No plumbing fixture, device, or construction shall be installed or maintained or shall be

connected to any domestic water supply when such installation may provide possibility of
polluting such water supply or may provide a cross-connection between potable water
distributing system and water which become contaminated by such plumbing fixture, device, or
construction.
o No water piping supplied by any private water supply system shall be interconnected to
an approved city water supply system or any other source of supply without the
approval of the Administrative Authority, Health Department, or other agencies.

Section 603 – Cross-Connection Control

 603.1 – Cross-connection control shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of this
chapter.
 o No person shall install any water-operated equipment or mechanism or use any water
treating chemical or substances.
o Approval of Devices – Before any device is installed for the prevention of backflow, the
Administrative Authority shall have first approved it.
o The person having control of such devices shall maintain all devices installed in a
potable water supply system for protection against backflow in good working condition.

 603.2 – Backflow Prevention Devices, Assemblies, and Methods

o 603.2.1 Airgap – the minimum airgap to provide backflow protection shall be in
accordance with the Table 6-1.
o 603.2.2 Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker – consists of a body, a checking member, and an
atmospheric opening.
o 603.2.3 Double Check Valve Backflow Prevention Assembly – consists of two
independently acting internally or externally loaded check valves, four properly located
test cocks with connectors and two isolation gate valves.
o 603.2.4 Pressure Vacuum Breaker Backflow Prevention Assembly – consists of a loaded
air inlet valve, an internally loaded check valve, two properly located test cocks and two
isolation gate valves.
o 603,.2.5 Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Prevention Assembly – consists of two
independently acting internally loaded check valves, a differential pressure relief valve,
four properly located test cocks and two isolation gate valves.

 603.3 – General Requirements

o 603.3.1 – All assemblies shall conform to listed standards and acceptable to the
Administrative Authority having jurisdiction over the selection and installation of
backflow prevention assemblies.
 o 603.3.2 – The premises owner shall have the backflow prevention assemble tested by a
certified backflow assembly tester at the time of installation, repair, relocation and at
least on an annual schedule.
o 603.3.3 – Access and clearance shall be provided for the required testing, maintenance,
and repair. Access and clearance shall require minimum of 305 mm space between the
lowest portion of the assembly and the grade, floor, or platform.
o 603.3.4 – Direct connections between potable water piping and sewer-connected
wastes shall not exist under any condition with or without backflow protection.
o 603.3.5 – Backflow prevention for hot water over 43.3* C shall be a listed type of
assembly designed to operate at a temperature of 43.3* C or higher without rendering
any portion of the assembly inoperative.
o 603.3.6 – Fixtures, appliances, or appurtenances with integral backflow preventers or
integral airgaps manufactured as a unit shall be installed in accordance with their listed
requirements.

 603.4 – Specific Requirements

o 603.4.1 – Water Closet and Urinal Flushometer Valves shall be equipped with a listed
atmospheric vacuum breaker.
o 603.4.2 – Water Closet and Urinal Tanks shall be equipped with a listed ballcock.
o 603.4.3 – Water Closet Flushometer Tanks shall be protected against backflow by an
approved backflow prevention assembly, device, or method.
o 603.4.4 – Heat Exchangers, and other assemblies or methods of constructions using
potable water shall be of listed construction and materials.
o 603.4.5 – Inlets to Tanks, Vats, Sumps, Swimming Pools, and other receptors when
protected by a listed atmospheric vacuum breaker shall have such atmospheric vacuum
breaker installed in the discharge side of the last valve with the critical level of not less
than 152 mm or in accordance with its listing above the flood level rim of such
equipment, and all downstream piping.
o 603.4.6 – Lawn Sprinkling Systems shall be equipped with listed atmospheric vacuum
breakers installed on the discharge side of each of the last shutoff valve.
o 603.4.7 – Potable Water Outlets with Hose Attachments other than water heater drains
and clothes washer connections shall be protected by a listed non-removable hosebibb-
type backflow preventer.
o 603.4.8 – A listed backflow preventer installed in accordance with the requirements of
this Chapter shall protect water Cooled Compressors, Degreasers, or any other water-
cooled equipment.
o 603.4.9 – Water Inlets to Water Supplied Aspirators shall be equipped with a listed
atmospheric vacuum breaker mounted at least 152 mm above the aspirator unit or
equipped with a listed backflow preventer installed in accordance with its listed
requirements and this Chapter.
o 603.4.10 – Potable Water Make Up Connections to Steam or Hot Water Boilers shall be
provided with a listed backflow protection assembly.
o 603.4.11 – Non-potable Water Piping. In cases where it is impractical to correct
individual cross-connections in the domestic water line, the line supplying such outlets
 shall be considered a non-potable water line, and no drinking, or domestic outlets shall
be connected to non-potable water line.
o 603.4.12 – Potable Water Supply to Carbonators shall be protected by backflow
protections device as approved by the Administrative Authority and installed per the
requirements of this Chapter.
o 603.4.13 – Backflow Preventers shall not be in any area containing fumes that are toxic,
poisonous, and corrosive.

Section 604 – Materials

 604.1 – Water pressure pipes shall be made of brass, copper, centrifugal cast iron, B & S and F &
F ends, ductile cast iron, 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.
 604.2 – Cast iron fittings up to and including 51 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.
o 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 Subsection 1302-4.
 604.7 – 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 full-way type
with working parts of non-corrosive materials.
 605.2 – A full-way 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 full-way gate valve to each
building, so arranged that the water supply can be turned on or off to any individual or separate
building.
 605.3 – A valve used to control two or more openings shall be a full-way gate valve.
 605.4 – Control gate valved shall be installed before each water-supplied appliance slip joint,
supply piping for non-metallic fixture and appliance.
 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 valve which supplies a battery of fixtures.

Section 606 – Gravity Supply Tanks

 606.1 – Elevated or gravity storage tank 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 mess 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 drainpipe and an overflow pipe screened 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 friction and other
pressure losses, a hydro-pneumatic pressure tank or an elevated tank and booster pump will
provide said 103 kPa pressure.
 607.2 Excessive Water Pressure – Where the local water pressure is more than 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.
 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.
o 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.
 607.4 – 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 1033 kPa.
 607.5 – Relief valves located inside a building shall be provided with drain, adequately-sized and
not small than the relief valve outlet or galvanized steel, hard drawn copy piping and fittings,
CPVC or PB with fittings which will not reduce the internal bore of the pipe or tubing and shall
extend from the valve to the outside of the building with the end of the pipe not more than 0.6
m nor less than 152 mm above the ground and pointing downward.
 607.6 – 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.

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 on
direction in copper tubing may be made with bends provided that the same are made with
proper bending equipment which does not deform or create a loss in cross-sectional area of the
tubing.
 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:
o 608.2.1 – The bottom of the water pipe at all points, shall is at least 0.3 above the top of
the sewer or drain line.
o 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 sewer or drain line and the water line, and
o 608.2.3 – Water 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 round shall be installed in accordance with the following requirements:
o 608.3.1 – Ferrous piping shall have an outside protective coating of an approved
materials, machine applied, and conforming to recognized standards. Approved non-
ferrous piping such as plastic tubes and pipes need not be wrapped for rustproofing.
o 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.
o 608.3.3 – 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 shall be installed in the water supply piping within 0.3 meter away from
regulating equipment, water heater, conditioning tank, and similar equipment which require
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 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.
o 609.2.1 – No water filter, water softener, or similar water treating 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 are less than the diameter
of the water supply distribution piping, or when the installation of such devices
procedures excessive pressure drops in the water supply piping system.
o 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 with the device, and shall be in the following form:

 609.3 – The quantity of water required to be supplied to every plumbing fixture shall be
represented by “Fixture Units”, as shown in Table 6-5.
 609.4 – Where the maximum length of supply piping is 61 meters or less, each water piping
system of fifty fixture units or less shall be sized in accordance with the values set forth in Table
6-6.
 609.5 – Except where the type of the pipe used and the water characteristics are such that no
decrease in capacity due to length of service may be expected, all friction loss data shall be
obtained from the “Fairly Rough” or “Rough” charts in Appendix A of this Code.
 609.6 – For proposed water piping installation sized using Table 6-6 the following conditions
shall be determined:
o 609.6.1 – Total number of fixture units determined from the Table of Equivalent Fixture
Units for the fixtures to be installed.
o 609.6.2 – Developed length of supply pipe from water meter to the most remote outlet:
o 609.6.3 – Difference in elevation between the water meter or other source of water
supply and the highest fixture or outlet to be installed.
o 609.6.4 – Water Pressure in the street main or other source of water supply in the
locality where the installation is to be made; and
 o 609.6.5 – In localities where there is a fluctuation of water pressure in the main
throughout the day, the water piping system shall be designed since the minimum
pressure available.
 609.7 Size of Water Meter and Building Supply Pipe Using Table 6-6 – Knowing the available
pressure at the water meter or other source of supply, and after subtracting 9.79 kPa* per m of
difference in elevation between such source of supply and highest water supply outlet in the
building or on the premises, use the “Pressure Range” group within which this pressure will fall.
 609.8 Size of Branches – The number of fixture units handled by a branch shall determine the
size of that branch, following the methods outlined in subsection 609.7 of this section.
 609.9 Sizing for Flushometer Valves – Branches and mains serving water closets or similar
flushometer valves may be sized from Table 6-6 when the values in Table 6-4 are assigned to
each flushometer valve beginning with the most remote valve in each branch.
o Any system using flushometer valves may be sized also by the procedures set forth in
Appendix A. Piping supplying a flushometer valve shall not be less in size than the valve
inlet.

 609.10 Sizing Systems for Flushometer Tanks – The size of branches and mains serving
flushometer tanks shall be consistent with the sizing procedures for flush tank water closets.
 609.11 Sizing Systems with Hot Water Piping – In sizing the water piping system, having a total
demand of 50 fixture units or less, the greatest developed length of the cold-water supply piping
may be used, and the length of the hot water piping ignored when the hot water piping friction
loss is compensated for by the following method:
o 609.11.1 – Compute the total hot water fixture unit demand, using those values given
Table 6-5 for the combined hot and cold-water use:
o 609.11.2 – Assign the total demand computed as required in 609.11.1 above, as the
fixture unit demands at the hot water heater inlet,
o 609.11.3 – Starting at the most remote outlet on the cold-water piping and working
back toward the water meter, compute the pipe sizing for the system from the column
 originally selected in Table 6-6 using the fixture unit valves given in Table 6-5 and adding
in the fixture unit demand for the hot water heater supply inlet as computed in 609.11.1
above, at the point where it occurs. The final size of the cold-water branch or main need
not exceed the originally established size of the building supply.
 609.12 – Except as provided in Subsection 609.11, water piping systems may be designed by
taking the total length of the supply piping from the source of cold-water supply through the
water heater, to the most remote hot water outlet and assessing flow values of seventy-five
percent of the combined hot and cold water demand as given in Table 605 to the piping
supplying either hot or cold-water to those fixtures served by both.
 609.13 Exceptions – The provisions of this Section relative to size of water piping need not apply
to the following:
o 609.13.1 – Water supply piping systems designed in accordance with recognized
engineering procedures acceptable to the Administrative Authority.
o 609.13.2 – Alteration of or minor additions to existing installations, provided the
Administrative Authority finds that there will be a reasonably adequate supply of water
to all fixtures.
o 609.13.3 – Replacement of existing fixtures or appliances.
o 609.13.4 – Piping which is part of fixture equipment.
o 609.13.5 – Unusual conditions where, in the judgement of the Administrative Authority,
a reasonably adequate supply of water is provided.
o 609.13.6 – non-potable water lines as defined in subsection 603.4.11 of Section 603.
o 609.13.7 - The size and materials used for irrigation water piping installed outside of any
building or structure and separated from the potable water supply system by means of
an approved airgap or backflow prevention device is not regulated by this Code.

Section 610 – Water Conservation

 610.1 – The maximum discharge flow rates for plumbing fixture fittings shall be in accordance
with applicable standards listed in Chapter 14.
 610.2 – Flush volumes for low consumption and water saver, water closets, and urinals shall be
in accordance with applicable standards listed in Chapter 14.
Section 611 – Piping Installed in Fire Resistive Construction

Where piping is installed and penetrates required fire resistive construction, the fire-resistant
integrity of the construction shall be that required by the Administrative Authority, or when not
established by the building Code, by qualified testing methods approved by the Administrative Authority
Approval shall be obtained prior to installing any such piping.
Section 612 – Hangers and Supports Abrasion

Hangers and straps shall not compress, distort, cut, or abrade the piping and shall allow free
movement of pipe. Pipe exposed to damage by sharp surfaces shall be protected.

613 – Support

Support all piping at intervals of not more than four feet, at end of branches, and at change of
direction or elevation. Supports shall allow free movement but shall restrict upward movement of
lateral runs to avoid reverse grade. Vertical piping shall be supported at each story or floor level.
Alignment of vertical piping shall be maintained between floors with the use of a mid-story guide.
Support trap arms more than three feet in length as close as possible to the trap. Closet rings shall be
tightly fastened with corrosive resistance fasteners up to the floor with top surface one-quarter inch
above finish floor.

614 – Thrust Blocking

In lines with rubber gasketed joints, thrust blocks shall be installed at all:

 614.1 – Changes in direction, as at tees, and bends.

 614.2 – Changes in size, as at reducers.
 614.3 – Stops, as at dead ends; and
 614.4 – Valves, where thrusts may be expected.

Thrust blocks sizes shall be based on the maximum line pressure, pipe size, and kind of soil.