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WACs > Title 51 > Chapter 51-56 > Section 51-56-0600











51-56-0500    

51-56-0700







Agency filings affecting this section







WAC 51-56-0600









Chapter 6—Water supply and distribution.










603.1 General. Cross-connection control shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Devices or assemblies for protection of the public water system must be models approved by the department of health under WAC 246-290-490. The authority having jurisdiction shall coordinate with the local water purveyor where applicable in all matters concerning cross-connection control within the property lines of the premises.
No person shall install any water operated equipment or mechanism, or use any water treating chemical or substance, if it is found that such equipment, mechanism, chemical or substance may cause pollution or contamination of the domestic water supply. Such equipment or mechanism may be permitted only when equipped with an approved backflow prevention device or assembly.

603.2 Approval of Devices or Assemblies. Before any device or assembly is installed for the prevention of backflow, it shall have first been approved by the authority having jurisdiction. Devices or assemblies shall be tested for conformity with recognized standards or other standards acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Backflow prevention devices and assemblies shall comply with Table 603.2, except for specific applications and provisions as stated in Section 603.5.1 through 603.5.21.
All devices or assemblies installed in a potable water supply system for protection against backflow shall be maintained in good working condition by the person or persons having control of such devices or assemblies. Such devices or assemblies shall be tested in accordance with Section 603.4.2 and WAC 246-290-490. If found to be defective or inoperative, the device or assembly shall be replaced or repaired. No device or assembly shall be removed from use or relocated or other device or assembly substituted, without the approval of the authority having jurisdiction.
Testing shall be performed by a Washington state department of health certified backflow assembly tester.
TABLE 603.2
Backflow Prevention Devices, Assemblies and Methods
The following line is deleted from the table:

Device, Assembly or Method Applicable Standards
Pollution
(Low Hazard)

Contamination
(High Hazard)

 
Installation


Back Siphonage Back Pressure Back Siphonage Back Pressure

Backflow preventer for carbonated beverage dispensers (two independent check valves with a vent to the atmosphere.) ASSE 1022 X       Installation includes carbonated beverage machines or dispensers. These devices operate under intermittent or continuous pressure conditions.

603.4.2 Testing. For devices and assemblies other than those regulated by the Washington department of health in conjunction with the local water purveyor for the protection of public water systems, the authority having jurisdiction shall ensure that the premise owner or responsible person shall have the backflow prevention assembly tested by a Washington state department of health certified backflow assembly tester:
(1) At the time of installation, repair or relocation; and
(2) At least on an annual schedule thereafter, unless more frequent testing is required by the authority having jurisdiction.

603.5.6 Protection from Lawn Sprinklers and Irrigation Systems. Potable water supplies to systems having no pumps or connections for pumping equipment, and no chemical injection or provisions for chemical injection, shall be protected from backflow by one of the following:
(1) Atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB).
(2) Pressure vacuum breaker backflow prevention assembly (PVB).
(3) Spill-resistant pressure vacuum breaker (SVB).
(4) Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly (RP).
(5) A double check valve backflow prevention assembly (DC) may be allowed when approved by the water purveyor and the authority having jurisdiction.

603.5.10 Steam or Hot Water Boilers. Potable water connections to steam or hot water boilers shall be protected by an air gap or a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer.

603.5.12 Beverage Dispensers. Potable water supply to carbonators shall be protected by a listed reduced pressure principle backflow preventer as approved by the authority having jurisdiction for the specific use. The backflow preventer shall be located in accordance with Section 603.4.3. The piping downstream of the backflow preventer shall not be of copper, copper alloy, or other material that is affected by carbon dioxide.

603.5.13 Prohibited Location. Backflow preventers shall not be located in any area containing fumes or aerosols that are toxic, poisonous, infectious, or corrosive.

603.5.15 Protection from Fire Systems. Except as provided under Sections 603.5.15.1 and 603.5.15.2, potable water supplies to fire protection systems that are normally under pressure, including but not limited to standpipes and automatic sprinkler systems, except in one or two family or townhouse residential flow-through or combination sprinkler systems piped in materials approved for potable water distribution systems, shall be protected from back-pressure and back-siphonage by one of the following testable assemblies:
1. Double check valve backflow prevention assembly (DC).
2. Double check detector fire protection backflow prevention assembly.
3. Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assembly (RP).
4. Reduced pressure detector fire protection backflow prevention assembly.
Potable water supplies to fire protection systems that are not normally under pressure shall be protected from backflow and shall meet the requirements of the appropriate standard(s) referenced in Table 1401.1.
604.11 Lead Content. The maximum allowable lead content in pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption shall be not more than a weighted average of 0.25 percent with respect to the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures. For solder and flux, the lead content shall be not more than 0.2 percent where used in piping systems that convey or dispense water for human consumption.

EXCEPTIONS:
1. Pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, fixtures or backflow preventers used for nonpotable services such as manufacturing, industrial processing, irrigation, outdoor watering, or any other uses where the water is not used for human consumption.

 
2. Water closets, bidets, urinals, fill valves, flushometer valves, tub fillers, shower valves, service saddles, or water distribution main gate valves that are two inches (50 mm) in diameter or larger.

604.14 Plastic water service piping may terminate within a building, provided the connection to the potable water distribution system shall be made as near as is practical to the point of entry and shall be accessible. Barbed insert fittings with hose clamps are prohibited as a transition fitting within the building.

608.5 Drains. Relief valves located inside a building shall be provided with a drain, not smaller than the relief valve outlet, of galvanized steel, hard drawn copper piping and fittings, CPVC, PP, or listed relief valve drain tube 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 two (2) feet (610 mm) nor less than six (6) inches (152 mm) above the ground or the flood level of the area receiving the discharge and pointing downward. Such drains may terminate at other approved locations. No part of such drain pipe shall be trapped or subject to freezing. The terminal end of the drain pipe shall not be threaded.

EXCEPTION:
Where no drainage was provided, replacement water heating equipment shall only be required to provide a drain pointing downward from the relief valve to extend between two feet (610 mm) and six inches (152 mm) from the floor. No additional floor drain need be provided.

610.4 Systems within the range of Table 610.4 may be sized from that table or by the method set forth in Section 610.5.
Listed parallel water distribution systems shall be installed in accordance with their listing.

612.1 General. Where residential fire sprinkler systems are installed, they shall be installed in accordance with the International Building Code or International Residential Code.

613.0 Insulation of Potable Water Piping. Domestic water piping within commercial buildings shall be insulated in accordance with Section C403.2.8 and Table C403.2.8 or Section C404.6 of the Washington State Energy Code, as applicable.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27A.025, 19.27A.045, and 19.27.074. WSR 13-23-094, § 51-56-0600, filed 11/20/13, effective 4/1/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.074, 19.27.031 and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. WSR 13-04-054, § 51-56-0600, filed 2/1/13, effective 7/1/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031, 19.27.035, 19.27.074, and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. WSR 12-07-018, § 51-56-0600, filed 3/12/12, effective 4/12/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.074, 19.27.031 and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. WSR 10-03-101, § 51-56-0600, filed 1/20/10, effective 7/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.190, 19.27.020 and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. WSR 07-01-094, § 51-56-0600, filed 12/19/06, effective 7/1/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074. WSR 04-01-110, § 51-56-0600, filed 12/17/03, effective 7/1/04; WSR 02-01-114, § 51-56-0600, filed 12/18/01, effective 7/1/02.]