HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 5974 ORDINANCE N0. _ 774
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 29 OF THE
FORT WORTH CITY CODE (1964) WHICH CHAPTER
REGULATES PLUMBING IN THE CITY OF FORT
WORTH;REQUIRING THE USE OF COPPER PIPE
IN CERTAIN GAS SERVICE LINES; PROVIDING
FOR A CHANGE IN THE FINAL INSPECTING AND
TESTING PROCEDURE FOR GAS LINES; PROVID-
ING FOR A CHANGE IN THE INSTALLATION RE-
QUIREMENTS FOR SHOWER PANS AND COPPER
WATER LINES IN CONCRETE SLAB CONSTRUC-
TION; PROVIDING FOR A CHANGE IN STORM
DRAINS AND BUILDING STORM SEWERS LOCATED
UNDERNEATH BUILDINGS; MAKING THIS ORDI-
NANCE CUMULATIVE OF PRIOR ORDINANCES;
REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES AND PROVISIONS
OF THE FORT WORTH CITY CODE IN CONFLICT
HEREWITH; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE;
PROVIDING A PENALTY AND PROVIDING AN EF-
FECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
WORTH, TEXAS:
SECTION 1.
That Section 29-16 of Chapter 29 of the Fort Worth City
Code (1964) is hereby amended and after being so amended same
shall hereafter read as follows:
"Section 29-16. Storm Drains
"Paved areas, yards, courts and court-
yards not having natural drainage, and building
roofs as required by the Building Code of the
City shall be drained into the storm sewer sys-
tems where such systems are available. Other-
wise, they shall be drained to a lawful place
of disposal approved by the city engineer.
When rain water from any roof is conducted
underneath the side walk to the street curb,
the pipes under the sidewalk shall be of cast
iron with an area equal to twice that of the
downspout, or a concrete trough may be used
which shall be fitted with a cast-iron cover held in place
with noncorrodible screws and such covers shall be made
preferably in one piece and shall be set flush with the
surface of the sidewalk.
"Storm water shall not be drained into sanitary
sewers.
"Subsoil drains may discharge into a properly trapped
storm drain or storm water sump and under no circumstances
shall they be connected to sanitary sewers except as provided
in Ordinance 5877. When the building is subject to back
water, the subsoil drain shall be protected by use of a sump
and pump suitable for lifting the water to an elevation
which is safe from backflow.
"Leaders when placed within a building or when run
in a vent or pipe shaft shall be of cast iron, galvanized
steel, black or galvanized wrought iron, galvanized open-
hearth iron, cement lined ferrous pipe, brass, black steel,
copper or lead, and shall comply with the specifications
given in this chapter.
"Outside leaders may be of sheet metal and where sub-
ject to damage from traffic they shall terminate in a cast-
iron boot or be protected by substantial shields or guards.
'Building storm drains and building storm sewers
shall be of vitrified clay pipe, concrete pipe or cast-
iron pipe, and shall comply with the specifications as
listed in this chapter. Threaded joints, if used under-
ground, shall be coated and wrapped before they are covered
with earth or fill.
'Building storm drains and building storm sewers
located underneath a building and to a point three feet
outside the building shall not exceed 15 inches in size
and shall be of cast-iron pipe.
"Building storm drains and building storm sewers
located underneath a building and to a point three
feet outside the building shall be of cast-iron pipe
where the size required is 15 inches or less. When
the required hydraulic capacity of the storm drain
would result in the use of a pipe in excess of 15
inches, the use of reinforced concrete pipe may be
permitted. Such installation shall require the
prior approval of the City Engineer as to the capa-
bility of the reinforced concrete pipe to sustain
the design load imposed upon it."
SECTION 2.
That Section 29-34 of Chapter 29 of the Fort Worth City Code
(1964) is hereby amended and after being so amended same shall here-
after read as follows:
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"Section 29-34. Final inspection and
tests
"A. Yard and Service Lines
"l. The Master Plumber in charge of the
work shall notify the Plumbing In-
spector when the work is ready for
final inspection.
"2. The Plumbing Inspector shall inspect
and approve the work when full com-
pliance with this ordinance is achieved.
'13. The utility company shall conduct its
pressure test in accordance with its
performance standards.
"4. The utility company shall notify the
Chief Plumbing Inspector of the test
results.
"5. If leaks are indicated, they shall be
corrected by removing all defective
material and replacing same with sound
material. The pressure test shall then
be repeated until all work is in full
compliance with this ordinance. No
cement of any kind shall be used to
repair defective material or workman-
ship.
"B. House and Interior Lines
"l. Final inspections shall be made when
work under this chapter is fully com-
pleted and building is ready for occu-
pancy. The master plumber in charge
of the work shall notify the plumbing
inspector when the work is ready for
final inspection, and he shall provide
for the building to be unlocked and
water pressure on all fixtures.
"2. A final test on the gas piping system
shall be made by the plumbing inspector
after the water heaters, wall heaters,
floor heaters or any other type of
appliance having concealed gas connec-
tions have been connected. The final
pressure test shall maintain a pressure
equal to a two-inch column of mercury.
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"3. Whenever it becomes necessary to move
or change the location of a gas meter
loop, or to make any extension or add
additional openings to an existing sys-
tem of gas piping, the plumber shall
prepare the entire system for inspec-
tion and the test shall be made with a
pressure equal to a two-inch column of
mercury.
"C. Emergency Repairs
"l. When it becomes necessary to perform
emergency repairs to protect the public
safety and property, the Chief Plumbing
Inspector shall be notified immediately
of the location and nature of the repairs.
"2. All work performed under emergency con-
ditions shall be considered of a tem-
porary nature.
"3. All emergency work must be duly inspected
and final approval shall not be issued
until full compliance with this ordinance
is achieved."
SECTION 3.
That Section 29-46 of Chapter 29 of the Fort Worth City
Code (1964) is hereby amended and after being so amended same
shall hereafter read as follows:
"Section 29-46. Water service supply
pipes and fittings
"All water pipes from water meters to and
through the building, used for supplying plumb-
ing fixtures and water systems, shall be wrought
iron galvanized, merchant steel galvanized, brass
pipe (iron pipe size and weight) , lead pipe of
weight known to the trade as 'extra strong, '
block tin, cast iron, tin lined tubing or cop-
per water tubing made from deoxidized copper
ninety-nine and ninety-nine hundredths per cent
pure in accordance with A.S.T.M. specifications,
types 'K' and 'Ll . All copper water tubing in-
stalled under a concrete slab shall be Type 'K, '
and the fittings shall be of the wrought pattern.
No other piping material shall be permitted under
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a concrete slab. All joints which occur under
a concrete slab shall be made with high tem-
perature solder equal to Silfos. All copper
water tubing used above ground shall be hard
tempered copper; except, that soft copper may
be used by special permission of the plumbing
inspector or as permitted in Section 29-59.
"All copper water pipe in or under a con-
crete slab shall be insulated so that it will
not bond to a beam, pier or the slab. Nor
shall it be permitted to touch another water
line, waste line or electrical conduit. Regu-
lar. water pipe insulation may be used or two layers
of 15 pound felt paper taped in place may be
used or any other method approved by the Plumb-
ing Board shall be accepted.
"A water pipe installation in a building
shall either be of copper or galvanized in its
entirety.
"All fittings used in the water supply
system shall be galvanized malleable fittings,
galvanized cast iron fittings, brass fittings,
copper or cast brass sweat fittings or cast
brass flared-type fittings for copper tubes.
Pipe or fittings that have been used for any
other purpose shall not be used in water supply
systems.
"When dissimilar materials are used in any
system of water piping, all connections between
such materials shall be made with isolation type
fittings (dielectirc fittings.)
"Asbestos cement pressure pipe consisting
of a core pipe and casing pipe, with an epoxy
lining inside the core and casing and poly-
urethane foam between a core and casing with a
'KI factor of 0.15 to 0.20, density of 2.25 -
3.00 lbs. per cu. foot and % closed cell 90 -
95%, may be used in underground outside distri-
bution in heating and air conditioning systems
to carry chilled water or low temperature hot
water (maximum one hundred eighty degrees Fahr-
enheit) under pressure, provided, that the core
and casing pipe meets the following specifica-
tions:
"Core Pipe:
"ASTM C--296--63T
"Federal specifications SS-P-351a.
"AWAA C--400--64T
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"Casing Pipe:
ASTM C--428--63T.
"All fittings for asbestos cement pressure
pipe shall be of cast iron and joints shall be
of the compression type."
SECTION 4.
That Section 29-51 of Chapter 29 of the Fort Worth City
Code (1964) is hereby amended and after being so amended same
shall hereafter read as follows:
"Section 29-51. Gas pipe and fittings
"A. Type of Pipe
111. All underground lines 1 inch I.D. and
smaller shall be type ILI soft copper.
"2. All underground lines 1-1/4 inch I.D.
to two inch shall be type ILI hard
copper.
"3. All underground lines 2-1/2 inch I.D.
or larger shall be type ILI hard cop-
per or ferrous pipe.
"4. All above ground lines shall be ferrous
pipe.
"B. Service Line Sizes
"l. High pressure (above 8 oz.) - Minimum
3/4 inch I.D.
"2. Low pressure ( 8 oz. or less) - Mini-
mum 1 inch I.D.
"C. Installation
"All gas pipe and fittings installed
underground shall have not less than
12 inches of cover. Yard lines shall
have a minimum of 12 inches cover at
the meter riser and 24 inches of cover
below finished grade at the curb line
and/or alley line.
"With co}per pipe, a pipe bender tool
must be used to create the bends. All
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copper service risers at the meter base
must be protected by a steel pipe chase
of the nearest size pipe - extending
from 6 inches below ground to the stop.
"Copper service lines shall be terminated
with a copper to iron adapter and stop
of the same size as the service line.
"All meter stops must be of the Dresser
11751 GTO type or approved equal.
"D. Copper Fittings and Joints
"l. Soft copper pipe shall have brass
heavy duty flare type adapters and
couplings.
"2. Hard copper pipe shall have wrought cop-
per (A.S.A.-A 40-3) joints and water type
fittings made with Sit-Fos Type Solder or
approved equal.
"E. Ferrous Pipe
"Pipe shall be black merchant steel
pipe or wrought iron pipe and where under-
ground shall be machine-wrapped with either
a coal tar enamel coating (see specification
Sub-Section 1-A) or a pressure sensitive
plastic tape (see specification Sub-Section
1-B) . Steel pipe with an extruded plastic
coating may also be used (see specification
Sub-Section 1-C) . All wrapping on pipe
shall extend 6 inches above grade or riser.
"All fittings shall be beaded malle-
able fittings except welded fittings and all
couplings shall be recess-type or line cou-
plings. All fittings and couplings shall be
coated with plastic tape when placed under-
ground. When gas pipe is run on outside of
building above ground and strapped to wall,
it shall be galvanized pipe, and all fittings
must be galvanized. Gas pipe shall not be
installed on the roof of a building. All
gas stopcocks used in gas piping, except
meter stops, shall be iron body with brass
core or lubricated plug stops. All gas serv-
ices 2-1/2 inches and larger shall be welded
and swing joints will not be required.
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"P. Gas Broilers or Gas Lights
Lines serving up to 4 gas lights may
be 3/8 inch 0. D. for the final 100 feet.
Lines serving only one gas broiler may
be 3/8 inch O.D. for the final 25 feet.
Longer length or other conditions shall
be in accordance with established pipe
sizing for gas pipe.
"G. Sub-Section Specifications
"l. When coated pipe of any of the below
mentioned sub-section specifications
is placed in the ditch, care shall be
taken that no rock, debris from con-
struction or any extraneous material
shall be used in the backfill of the
ditch.
112. All wrapped or insulated pipe shall be
subject to an electric holiday text of
5,000 to 12,000 volts before the pipe
is covered with dirt. The ditch shall
be of sufficient width to permit holi-
day test to be applied, or pipe shall
be supported above trench for holiday
inspection.
"SUB-SECTION 1-A. COAL TAR COATING
SPECIFICATION (Minimum Coating)
"l. Cleaning. Pipe shall be mechan-
ically cleaned by sand blasting,
shot blasting, or knife and cut-
ter mechanical cleaning machine,
to a bright metal.
"2. A coal tar primer shall be applied
by brush, mop or spray. Primer
shall be compatible to a particu-
lar coal tar coating to be later
applied. Primer shall not be
tacky or dead when hot coal tar
is applied.
"3. Flood coat of a semi-plasticized
coal tar to an average thickness
of 3/32 inches.
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"4. Spirally apply a 15-pound asbes-
tos coal or tar pipeline felt.
"5. Spirally apply a 30-pound kraft
paper.
"SUB-SECTION 1-B. PLASTIC TAPE COATING
SPECIFICATION (Minimum)
"l. Pipe shall be cleaned free of
rust, grease, dirt, moisture,
oil and dust.
"2. The plastic tape shall be spirally
applied by a tape wrapping machine
with two (2) separate layers of
tape and to give each layer a
minimum of 1/4 inch overlap with
no wrinkles or voids in the
material.
"3. Fitting surfaces after installa-
tion shall be cleaned free of
grease, pipe dope, soap, mois-
ture, dust, rust, or dirt, and
spirally wrapped with two (2)
layers with 1/2 inch lap of
pressure sensitive plastic tape.
This application shall be free
of puckers, voids and wrinkles.
When fittings are used in con-
junction with coal tar coated
pipe, the kraft paper shall be
peeled back 6 inches from the
end of the coating, exposing the
pipeline felt. Tape shall then
be spirally applied over the
coal tar coating and the fittings
in thesame manner as described
above.
"SUB-SECTION 1-C. EXTRUDED PLASTIC
COATING SPECIFICATION
"l. A steel pipe with an extruded
plastic coating 30 mils thick and
a butyl rubber bonding adhesive
between the pipe and the plastic
jacket as produced by the major
steel companies may be used."
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SECTION 5.
That Section 29-97 of Chapter 29 of the Fort Worth City
Code (1964) is hereby amended and after being so amended same
shall hereafter read as follows:
"Section 29-97. Shower Baths
"Each shower bath shall be provided with
trap of cast iron, brass or lead with water
seal of not less than two inches or more than
four inches. Inlet and outlet of this trap
shall not be less than two inches in diameter.
Showers installed independent of shower heads
over bathtubs shall be wasted through a double
drainage floor drain applicance as made by the
various manufactures, and approved by the plumb-
ing inspector. Drilling of the brass strainer
will not be permitted. Waste shall connect
with either vertical stack or horizontal house
drain independent of all other fixtures, and
in no case shall be connected to lead bend or
lead ferrule serving water closets. When two
inch P-traps are used under showers in order
to keep from cutting the floor joist, the ex-
tension from trap to strainer shall be of cast
iron or brass and the distance from floor line
to trap shall not exceed two feet, and the dis-
tance from water seal to point of entrance on
vertical or horizontal connection on continuous
waste shall not exceed five feet. Beyond this
limit, traps shall be revented.
"Whenever built-up shower baths are in-
stalled, the base may be precast terrazzo re-
ceptor with flange cast integral, which flange
shall be of galvanized steel and shall extend
not less than one inch above the shoulder. The
shoulder shall not be less than one inch high
and not less than one and one-fourth inches wide.
Where pre-cast terrazzo receptors are not used, '
the base of the shower stall shall be lined with
sheet lead weighing not less than four pounds
to the square foot. Lead shower pans shall be
protected on both upper and lower sides by coat-
ing with asphalt and application of thirty pounds
asphalt felt over such coating on both sidesof
pan. The sheet lead shall be turned upon on all
sides to a height of not less than six inches.
Base and walls of the shower stall shall be of
nonabsorbent materials and impervious to moisture.
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"Lead shower pans may be omitted in built-
up shower stalls provided the following condi-
tions are met:
"l. Shower must be installed on a con-
crete slab foundation which must be
at least six inches below the regu-
lar floor line.
"2. Walls of shower must be constructed
of metal lath and plaster and glazed
ceramic tile.
"When shower baths are installed in manu-
facturing establishments, shop and engine or
boiler rooms in basements, or if the floor in
such places is constructed on the ground using
concreteor tile, then the double drainage fix-
ture and lead pan need not be used. Cast iron
combination P-trap with strainer may be used
with wastes and vents in such business estab-
lishments.
"Prefabricated shower stalls with porcelain
enameled metal, stainless steel, fiberglass or
other homogeneous nylon material walls and porce-
lain enameled metal, stainless steel, terrazzo,
or other homogeneous nylon material receptors
may be installed on the ground floor of resi-
dential buildings only. Such stalls installed
in residential buildings above ground floor shall
have terrazzo, fiberglass or other homogeneous
nylon receptors. Shower walls and receptor shall
be connected with water-tight joints in such in-
stallation. Fiberglass or homogeneous nylon
material shall be manufactured in accordance with
CS-22-59."
SECTION 6.
That this ordinance shall repeal every prior ordinance
and provision of the Fort Worth City Code in conflict herewith
but only insofar as the portion of such prior ordinance or
provision shall be in conflict, and as to all other ordi-
nances or provisions of the Fort Worth City Code not in direct
conflict herewith, this ordinance shall be and is hereby made
cumulative.
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SECTION 7.
That if any section, part of a section or provision of
any section of this ordinance shall be held to be void, ineffec-
tive or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction,
the holding of such section, part of a section or provision
of any section to be void, ineffective or unconstitutional
for any cause whatsoever shall in no way affect the validity
of the remaining sections and provisions of this ordinance,
which shall remain in full force and effect. The City Coun-
cil would not have passed any sections, parts of sections or
provisions of any section of this ordinance that were uncon-
stitutional, void or ineffective if it had known that they
were unconstitutional, void or ineffective at the time of
adopting this ordinance.
SECTION 8.
That the violation of any provision of this ordinance
or of the Fort Worth City Code relating to plumbing shall be
deemed an offense and punishable by a fine not exceeding Two
Hundred Dollars ($200) , and each violation thereof and each
day there is a failure to comply with the terms of this ordi-
nance shall be and is hereby deemed to be a distinct and sep-
arate offense and punishable as such.
SECTION 9.
That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect
from and after its passage and publication as required by
law.
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APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
cit ttorney
Adopted by the City Council
Effective �� / /9/ f
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City of Dort Worth, Texas
Mayor and Council Communication
MCMAHAN r
DATE REFERENCE SUBJECT: Proposed Amendment to AGE
LINE 8/5/68 NUMBER G - 1268 Plumbing Code 2
I Y 1J.P
f
fNOR PHIS
GRAHAM
On July 16, 1968, after holding four public hearings, the Plumbing Board approved
R.&B. the attached amendments to the City Plumbing Code and recommended that the amend-
BUILDING ments be approved by the City Council. These amendments have been reviewed by
Lone Star Gas Company and other local organizations concerned with the enforcement
�--� of the Plumbing Code.
Highlights of Proposed Amendments
Section 29-16 - Storm Drains
The proposed amendment to this section of the Plumbing Code as recommended by the
Plumbing Board restricts the size of storm drains beneath buildings to 15 inches
in diameter and the material to cast-iron pipe. The Plumbing Board notes that
cast iron pipe has fewer joints and better in-place joint characteristics and
feels that the placement of cast iron pipe storm drains beneath buildings will
result in superior performance which will more than offset a slight increase in
cost.
The Public Works Department recommends that the Plumbing Code permit the use of
concrete pipe in sizes larger than 15 inches beneath buildings when the pipe will
sustain the design load imposed upon it. The Public Works staff feels that use
of concrete pipe is widely accepted and that recent improvements in joint construc-
tion have removed the major objection to its use. The staff also recommends that
"except as provided in Ordinance 5877" be inserted at the end of the first sen-
tence of the fourth paragraph of Section 29-16 of the proposed amendment. Ordi-
nance 5877 allows the discharge of storm water into sanitary sewers under certain,
specific conditions and establishes rates for such discharge.
Section 29-34 Gas Service - FinaZ Inspection and Tests
Present ordinance provisions are designed to eliminate gas leaks, but enforcement
of them in the field results in redundant tests, excessive stand-by time,
lengthy disruption of service, and makes no provisions for emergency conditions.
The proposed amendments revise inspection procedures to allow the gas utility
company and contractors to work together to accomplish a safe, fast installation
and at the same time maintain current standards of public safety and inspection
criteria.
Section 29-46 Water Service SuppZg - Pipes and Fittings
The proposed amendment is written to reduce the incidence of leaking water pipes
in slab-type foundations by requiring the installation of insulated copper pipe
in specified ways. This provision is not contained in the current Code.
DATE REFERENCE SU13JECT: Proposed Amendments to _PAGE
8/5/68 NUMBER G - 1268 Plumbing Code
Section 29-51 - Gas Pipe and Fittings
Over the years, Fort Worth has continually upgraded gas line installati(uijre�qu re-
ments from no requirements to the current requirements of doped and wrapped pipe
electronically tested before the pipe is buried. Despite these procedures, the
City is encountering an increasingly higher percentage of leaks in gas service
lines less than five years old.
The proposed amendment specifies types and sizes of gas pipe to be used and estab-
lishes guidelines for its installation, including joints, in order to reduce main-
tenance problems caused by corrosion of gas pipes by chemical agents in the soil.
The proposed requirement of type "L" hard copper pipe will not completely eliminat
service line failures, but it has significantly higher resistance to corrosion
than less expensive pipe. It is anticipated that short-run increases in costs for
the pipe will be more than offset by its increased reliability and decreased
maintenance costs.
Section 29-97 - Shover Baths
Several years ago, the Plumbing Code was amended to permit the use of the inexpen-
sive composition or "built-up" type shower pan. Almost without exception, these
pans have proven to have a short life, often resulting in undetected leaks that
cause expensive damage to structures housing them.
The proposed amendment restores the sheet lead pan previously required and speci-
fie� that the pans must be recessed three inches in slab foundation construction
to minimize damage if a leak does occur.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the proposed amendments to the Plumbing Code attached to
this correspondence including the additions to Section 29-16, Storm Drains,
suggested by the Public Works Department as described above, be approved by
the City Council.
HDM:j p
Attachments
SUBMITTED BY: DISPOSITION COUNCIL: PROCESSED BY
PPROVED ❑ OTHER ( ESCRIBE) /`//J
CITY�TARY
/ f
DATE
CITY MANAGER (/S