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Municipal Code of Chicago
MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO
TITLE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE 2 CITY GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
TITLE 3 REVENUE AND FINANCE
TITLE 4 BUSINESSES, OCCUPATIONS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
TITLE 5 HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
TITLE 6 HUMAN RIGHTS*
TITLE 7 HEALTH AND SAFETY
TITLE 8 OFFENSES AFFECTING PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND WELFARE
TITLE 9 VEHICLES, TRAFFIC AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION
TITLE 10 STREETS, PUBLIC WAYS, PARKS, AIRPORTS AND HARBORS
TITLE 11 UTILITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
TITLE 12 RESERVED
TITLE 13 BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION
TITLE 14 RESERVED*
TITLE 14A ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS OF THE CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION CODES*
TITLE 14B BUILDING CODE*
TITLE 14C CONVEYANCE DEVICE CODE*
TITLE 14E ELECTRICAL CODE*
TITLE 14F FIRE PREVENTION CODE*
TITLE 14G FUEL GAS CODE*
TITLE 14M MECHANICAL CODE*
TITLE 14N 2022 ENERGY TRANSFORMATION CODE*
TITLE 14P PLUMBING CODE*
TITLE 14R BUILDING REHABILITATION CODE*
TITLE 14X MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS*
TITLE 15 FIRE PREVENTION
TITLE 16 LAND USE
TITLE 17 CHICAGO ZONING ORDINANCE
TITLE 18 BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE
CHAPTER 18-11 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-13 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-14 BUILDING ENERGY USE BENCHMARKING
CHAPTER 18-27 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-28 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS*
CHAPTER 18-29 PLUMBING*
Article 1. Administration (18-29-101 et seq.)
Article 2. Definitions (18-29-201 et seq.)
Article 3. General Regulations (18-29-301 et seq.)
Article 4. Fixtures, Faucets and Fixture Fittings (18-29-401 et seq.)
Article 5. Water Heaters (18-29-501 et seq.)
Article 6. Water Supply and Distribution (18-29-601 et seq.)
18-29-601 General.
18-29-601.1 Scope.
18-29-601.2 Inspections and notices.
18-29-601.3 Access for inspections.
18-29-601.4 Solar energy utilization.
18-29-602 Water Required.
18-29-602.1 General.
18-29-602.1.1 Obligations of water consumers.
18-29-602.1.2 Obligations of water consumers - Private water mains on private property.
18-29-602.2 Potable water required.
18-29-602.3 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-602.4 Reserve water supply.
18-29-602.4.1 Installation of line valves or taps.
18-29-602.4.2 Dual meter settings.
18-29-603 Water Service.
18-29-603.1 Size of water service pipe and water meter.
18-29-603.1.1 Meter spreader connection.
18-29-603.1.2 Water service for fire protection systems.
18-29-603.1.3 Permit required.
18-29-603.2 Separation of water service and building sewer/drain.
18-29-603.2.1 Water supply systems installed near a sewer structure.
18-29-603.2.2 Reserved.
18-29-603.2.3 Backfill.
18-29-603.3 Metered service.
18-29-603.3.1 Authority.
18-29-603.3.2 Connection to metered service.
18-29-603.3.3 Licensed and bonded contractor.
18-29-603.3.4 Location.
18-29-603.3.5 Construction of meter vaults.
18-29-603.3.6 Installation of taps.
18-29-603.3.7 Plans accompany permit application.
18-29-603.3.8 Notification of wrecking buildings for terminating water service.
18-29-604 Design of Building Water Distribution System.
18-29-604.1 General.
18-29-604.2 System interconnection.
18-29-604.3 Water distribution system design criteria.
18-29-604.4 Maximum flow and water consumption.
18-29-604.4.1 WaterSense compliance.
18-29-604.4.2 Reserved.
18-29-604.5 Size of fixture supply.
18-29-604.5.1 Minimum size.
18-29-604.6 Variable street pressures.
18-29-604.7 Inadequate water pressure.
18-29-604.8 Water pressure reducing valve or regulator.
18-29-604.8.1 Reserved.
18-29-604.8.2 Repair and removal.
18-29-604.9 Water hammer.
18-29-604.9.1 Air chambers.
18-29-604.10 Size of water supply pipes.
18-29-604.10.1 Minimum sizes of branch distributing pipes for fixtures and appliances.
18-29-604.10.1.1 Demand load.
18-29-604.10.1.2 Size of piping.
18-29-604.10.1.3 Available pressure.
18-29-604.10.2 Procedures for calculating sizing.
18-29-604.11 Individual pressure balancing in-line valves for individual fixture fittings.
18-29-604.11.1 Reserved.
18-29-605 Materials, Joints and Connections.
18-29-605.1 Water compatibility.
18-29-605.2 Soil and ground water.
18-29-605.3 Lead content of water supply pipe and fittings.
18-29-605.3.1 Lead content of drinking water pipe and fittings.*
18-29-605.4 Water service pipe.
18-29-605.4.1 Materials for supply pipes and fittings.
18-29-605.5 Water distribution pipe.
18-29-605.6 Fittings.
18-29-605.7 Valves.
18-29-605.8 Manufactured pipe nipples.
18-29-605.9 Prohibited joints and connections.
18-29-605.10 Flexible water connectors.
18-29-605.11 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-605.12 Brass.
18-29-605.12.1 Brazed joints.
18-29-605.12.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-605.12.3 Threaded joints.
18-29-605.12.4 Welded joints.
18-29-605.13 Gray iron and ductile iron joints.
18-29-605.14 Reserved.
18-29-605.14.1 Reserved.
18-29-605.14.2 Reserved.
18-29-605.14.3 Reserved.
18-29-605.14.4 Threaded joints.
18-29-605.14.5 Welded joints.
18-29-605.15 Copper tubing.
18-29-605.15.1 Brazed joints.
18-29-605.15.2 Flared joints.
18-29-605.15.3 Grooved and shouldered mechanical joints.
18-29-605.15.4 Mechanical joints.
18-29-605.15.5 Press-connect joints.
18-29-605.15.6 Soldered joints.
18-29-605.15.7 Push-fit fitting joints.
18-29-605.16 CPVC plastic.
18-29-605.16.1 Mechanical joints.
18-29-605.16.2 Solvent cementing.
18-29-605.16.3 Threaded joints.
18-29-605.17 Steel.
18-29-605.17.1 Threaded joints.
18-29-605.17.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-605.18 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-605.19 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-605.20 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-605.21 Joints between different materials.
18-29-605.21.1 Copper or copper-alloy tubing to galvanized steel pipe.
18-29-605.22 Protection for pipes and fixtures.
18-29-605.23 Hydrants and non-freeze hydrants protection.
18-29-605.24 Water supply pipe protection.
18-29-605.25 Refrigerant condensers.
18-29-605.26 Dead-ends prohibited.
18-29-605.27 Air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
18-29-605.28 Permissible exceptions.
18-29-606 Installation of the Building Water Distribution System.
18-29-606.1 Location of full-open valves.
18-29-606.2 Location of shutoff valves.
18-29-606.3 Access to valves.
18-29-606.4 Valve identification.
18-29-606.5 Water pressure booster systems.
18-29-606.5.1 Hydropneumatic system, booster pump system, gravity tank.
18-29-606.5.1.1 Requirements.
18-29-606.5.1.1.1 Pressure relief valve.
18-29-606.5.1.1.2 Compression tank.
18-29-606.5.1.1.3 Sludge drain pipe.
18-29-606.5.1.2 Booster pump system.
18-29-606.5.1.2.1 Gravity tanks.
18-29-606.5.1.2.2 Total pressure.
18-29-606.5.1.2.3 Low pressure cutoff.
18-29-606.5.2 Surge tank for pumps.
18-29-606.5.3 Check valves required.
18-29-606.5.3.1 Approval required.
18-29-606.5.4 Equipment required for tanks receiving city water.
18-29-606.5.4.1 Sludge drain pipe.
18-29-606.5.4.2 Size.
18-29-606.5.4.3 Covers and support.
18-29-606.5.5 Recycling system for vehicle wash installations.
18-29-606.5.6 Potable water inlet control and location.
18-29-606.5.7 Tank drain pipes.
18-29-606.5.8 Prohibited location of potable supply tanks.
18-29-606.5.9 Pressure relief valve requirements.
18-29-606.5.10 Pressure relief valves for hydropneumatic tanks.
18-29-606.6 Test of distribution pipes.
18-29-607 Hot Water Supply System.
18-29-607.1 Where required.
18-29-607.1.1 Temperature limiting means.
18-29-607.1.2 Tempered water temperature control.
18-29-607.1.2.1 Reserved.
18-29-607.2 Hot or tempered water supply to fixtures.
18-29-607.2.1 Circulation systems and heat trace systems for maintaining heated water temperature in distribution systems.
18-29-607.2.1.1 Pump controls for hot water storage system.
18-29-607.2.1.2 Demand recirculation controls for distribution systems.
18-29-607.2.1A Reserved.
18-29-607.2.2 Piping for recirculation systems having temperature-actuated mixing valves.
18-29-607.3 Thermal expansion control.
18-29-607.3.1 Reserved.
18-29-607.3.2 Reserved.
18-29-607.4 Flow of hot water to fixtures.
18-29-607.5 Insulation of piping.
18-29-607.6 Expansion joints.
18-29-608 Protection of Potable Water Supply.
18-29-608.1 General.
18-29-608.2 Plumbing fixtures.
18-29-608.3 Water supply pipes.
18-29-608.3.1 Special equipment, water supply protection.
18-29-608.4 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-608.5 Secondary water.
18-29-608.6 Prohibited use of secondary water.
18-29-608.6.1 Private water supplies.
18-29-608.7 Stop-and-waste valves prohibited.
18-29-608.8 Identification of potable and nonpotable water.
18-29-608.9 Re-utilization prohibited.
18-29-608.10 Reuse of piping.
18-29-608.11 Painting of water tanks.
18-29-608.12 Pumps and other appliances.
18-29-608.13 Backflow protection.
18-29-608.13.1 Air gap.
18-29-608.13.2 Reduced pressure principle backflow preventers.
18-29-608.13.3 Backflow preventer with intermediate atmospheric vent.
18-29-608.13.4 Barometric loop.
18-29-608.13.5 Atmospheric-type vacuum breakers.
18-29-608.13.6 Double check-valve assemblies.
18-29-608.14 Location of backflow preventers.
18-29-608.15 Protection of potable water outlets.
18-29-608.16 Connections to the potable water system.
18-29-608.16.1 Beverage carbonator.
18-29-608.16.1.1 Backflow preventer.
18-29-608.16.2 High-pressure steam boilers.
18-29-608.16.3 Connections to automatic fire sprinkler systems and standpipe systems.
18-29-608.16.4 Fire protection equipment, risers, standpipes, tanks to be drained and flushed.
18-29-608.16.5 Fire-extinguishing equipment cross-connection.
18-29-608.16.5.1 Prohibitions.
18-29-608.16.6 Chemical or petroleum pressure vessels.
18-29-608.16.6.1 Chemical or petroleum pressure vessels.
18-29-608.16.6.2 Water flushing or cooling.
18-29-608.16.6.3 Chemical, contaminated water, or sewage lines or vessels.
18-29-608.16.7 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-608.16.8 Portable cleaning equipment.
18-29-608.16.9 Dental pump equipment.
18-29-608.17 Private water supplies.
18-29-608.17.1 Well locations.
18-29-608.17.1.1 Distances.
18-29-608.17.1.2 Direct connections.
18-29-609 Health Care Plumbing.
18-29-609.1 General.
18-29-609.1.1 Where required.
18-29-609.2 Water service.
18-29-609.3 Hot water.
18-29-609.4 Vacuum breaker installation.
18-29-609.5 Prohibited water closet and clinical sink supply.
18-29-609.6 Clinical, hydrotherapeutic and radiological equipment.
18-29-609.7 Condensate drain trap seal.
18-29-609.8 Valve leakage diverter.
18-29-610 Disinfection of Potable Water System.
18-29-610.1 Scope.
18-29-611 Water Treatment Units.
18-29-611.1 Design.
18-29-611.2 Reverse osmosis systems.
Article 7. Sanitary Drainage (18-29-701 et seq.)
Article 8. Indirect/Special Waste (18-29-801 et seq.)
Article 9. Vents (18-29-901 et seq.)
Article 10. Traps, Separators and Interceptors (18-29-1001 et seq.)
Article 11. Storm Drainage (18-29-1101 et seq.)
Article 12. Swimming Pools and Other Swimming Facilities* (18-29-1201 et seq.)
Article 13. Referenced Standards
Appendix A Procedures for Calculating the Minimum Sizing of the Water Supply System
CHAPTER 18-30 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-31 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-32 RESERVED*
CHAPTER 18-36 REFERENCE STANDARDS*
APPENDIX TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF CHICAGO (RESERVED)*
TABLES
Chicago Zoning Ordinance and Land Use Ordinance
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18-29-608.14 Location of backflow preventers.
   Access shall be provided to backflow preventers as specified by the installation instructions of the approved manufacturer.
18-29-608.15 Protection of potable water outlets.
   All potable water openings and outlets shall be protected against backflow in accordance with the following:
   1.   Openings and outlets shall be protected by an air gap between the opening and the fixture flood level rim as specified in Table 18-29-608.15.1. Openings and outlets equipped for hose connection shall be protected by means other than an air gap.
   2.   Openings and outlets shall be protected by a reduced pressure principle backflow preventer.
   3.   Openings and outlets shall be protected by a backflow preventer with an intermediate atmospheric vent.
   4.   Openings and outlets shall be protected by atmospheric-type vacuum breakers. The critical level of the vacuum breaker shall be set a minimum of 6 inches (150 mm) above the flood level rim of the fixture or device. Ball cocks shall be set in accordance with Section 425.3.1. Vacuum breakers shall not be installed under exhaust hoods or similar locations that will contain toxic fumes or vapors. Pipe-applied vacuum breakers shall be installed not less than 6 inches (150 mm) above the flood level rim of the fixture, receptor or device served.
   5.   All pull-out spout-type faucets shall be in compliance with CSA CAN/CSA B125 and have an integral vacuum breaker or vent to atmosphere in their design or shall require a dedicated deck- or wall-mounted vacuum breaker. Approved deck-mounted or equipment-mounted vacuum breakers and faucets with integral atmospheric or spill-proof vacuum breakers shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and the requirements for labeling with the critical level not less than, 1 inch (25 mm) above the flood level rim.
   6.   Sillcocks, hose bibbs, wall hydrants and other openings with a hose connection shall be protected by an atomospheric-type or pressure type vacuum breaker or a permanently attached hose connection vacuum breaker.
   Exceptions:
      1.   This section shall not apply to water heater and boiler drain valves that are provided with hose connection threads and that are intended for only tank or vessel draining.
      2.   This section shall not apply to water supply valves intended for connection of clothes washing machines where backflow prevention is otherwise provided or is integral with the machine.
Table 18-29-608.15.1
Minimum Required Air Gaps
 
Fixture
Minimum Air Gap
Away from a wall a (inches)
Close to a wall (inches)
Lavatories and other fixtures with effective opening not greater than 1/2 inch in diameter
1
1 1/2
Sink, laundry trays, gooseneck back faucets and other fixtures with effective openings not greater than 3/4 inch in diameter
1 1/2
2 1/2
Over-rim bath fillers and other fixtures with effective openings not greater than 1 inch in diameter
2
3
Drinking water fountains, single orifice not greater than 7/16 inch in diameter or multiple orifices with a total area of 0.150 square inch (area of circle 7/16 inch in diameter).
1
1 1/2
Effective openings greater than 1 inch.
Two times the diameter of the effective opening.
Three times the diameter of the effective opening.
 
For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
a.   Applicable where walls or obstructions are spaced from the nearest inside edge of the spout opening a distance greater than three times the diameter of the effective opening for a single wall, or a distance greater than four times the diameter of the effective opening for two intersecting walls.
18-29-608.16 Connections to the potable water system.
   Connections to the potable water system shall conform to Sections 18-29-608.16.1 through 18-29-608.16.6.
18-29-608.16.1 Beverage carbonator.
   Every water supply pipe servicing a beverage carbonator shall receive its supply through a receiving tank constructed in accordance with Section 18-29-606.5.4 of this Article or shall have installed in the pipe an approved stainless steel in-line-pressure-type backflow preventer consisting of two check valves separated by an open air port conforming to ASSE 1012 or ASSE 1022. The air port shall not be directly connected to the drainage system.
18-29-608.16.1.1 Backflow preventer.
   The backflow preventer shall be installed in an accessible location on the discharge side of the carbonator water supply valve. No copper tube or pipe or copper lined components shall be used for the receiving tank or its piping to the carbonator or the outlet of the stainless backflow preventer.
18-29-608.16.2 High-pressure steam boilers.
   Steam boilers exceeding a pressure of 15 psi (103.4 kPa) and hydronic heating systems designed to exceed a pressure of 15 psi (103.4 kPa) or a temperature of 250°F (121°C) shall not be directly connected to the water supply system. Steam boilers not exceeding a pressure of 15 psi (103.4 kPa) and hydronic heating systems designed not to exceed pressure of 30 psi (306.9 kPa) or a temperature of 250°F (121°C) shall be provided with an in-line pressure-type backflow preventer consisting of two check valves separated by an open air port. The air port shall not be directly connected to the drainage system. The backflow preventer shall be installed in an accessible location on the discharge side of the boiler water supply valve and on the inlet side of the boiler feed valve.
18-29-608.16.3 Connections to automatic fire sprinkler systems and standpipe systems.
   The potable water supply to automatic fire sprinkler and standpipe systems shall be protected against backflow by a testable double detector check-valve assembly.
18-29-608.16.4 Fire protection equipment, risers, standpipes, tanks to be drained and flushed.
   All fire protection equipment, tanks, risers, standpipes, domestic house tanks, compression tanks and all other tanks that have a weight check valve for backflow prevention and are supplied with water from the Chicago Waterworks System shall be drained and flushed at least every 12 months. Further, fire protection systems and equipment shall be kept free from accumulations of sand, silt, and stagnant water which would nullify the action of the chlorine content of City water.
(Amend Coun. J. 10-14-21, p. 37722, Art. VI, § 28)
18-29-608.16.5 Fire-extinguishing equipment cross-connection.
   Any building, premises, material or storage yard which receives service from the Chicago Waterworks System shall not have a siamese or other connection for fire extinguishing purposes installed near any river, lake, or waterway where a city fire boat or city fire engine or pump may pump river, lake or shore water into the city water pipes through a cross-connection of any kind.
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