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Chicago Overview
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.)
Article 7. Sanitary Drainage (18-29-701 et seq.)
18-29-701 General.
18-29-701.1 Scope.
18-29-701.2 Sewer required.
18-29-701.3 Separate building sewer connection.
18-29-701.4 Sewage treatment.
18-29-701.5 Damage to drainage system or public sewer.
18-29-701.6 Tests.
18-29-701.7 Connections.
18-29-701.8 Notification of wrecking buildings and sealing or abandoning sewer facilities.
18-29-702 Materials.
18-29-702.1 Above-ground sanitary drainage and vent pipe.
18-29-702.1.1 Mixed-occupancy buildings.
18-29-702.2 Underground building sanitary drainage and vent pipe.
18-29-702.3 Building sewer pipe.
18-29-702.4 Fittings.
18-29-702.5 Temperature rating.
18-29-702.5.1 Reserved.
18-29-702.5.1.1 Reserved.
18-29-702.5.1.2 Reserved.
18-29-702.5.1.3 Reserved.
18-29-702.6 Chemical waste system.
18-29-702.6.1 Reserved.
18-29-702.6.2 Reserved.
18-29-702.7 Reserved.
18-29-702.8 Safe pans.
18-29-702.8.1 Material.
18-29-702.8.2 Construction.
18-29-703 Building Sewer.
18-29-703.1 Building sewers, building drains or drainage systems installed near the water pipes and water supply system.
18-29-703.2 Drainage pipe in filled ground.
18-29-703.3 Sanitary and storm sewers.
18-29-703.3.1 Combined sewers.
18-29-703.4 Existing building sewers and drains.
18-29-703.4.1 Inspection of existing underground building sewers for drain and reuse.
18-29-704 Drainage Piping and Installation.
18-29-704.1 Slope of horizontal drainage piping.
18-29-704.2 Change in size.
18-29-704.3 Connections to offsets and bases of stacks.
18-29-704.4 Future fixtures.
18-29-704.5 Reserved.
18-29-704.5.1 Reserved.
18-29-704.5.2 Reserved.
18-29-705 Joints.
18-29-705.1 General.
18-29-705.2 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.3 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.4 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.1 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.2 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.3 Reserved.
18-29-705.4.4 Reserved.
18-29-705.5 Cast iron.
18-29-705.5.1 Caulked joints.
18-29-705.5.2 Compression gasket joints.
18-29-705.5.3 Mechanical joint coupling.
18-29-705.6 Concrete joints.
18-29-705.7 Copper pipe.
18-29-705.7.1 Brazed joints.
18-29-705.7.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.7.3 Soldered joints.
18-29-705.7.4 Threaded joints.
18-29-705.7.5 Welded joints.
18-29-705.8 Copper tubing.
18-29-705.8.1 Brazed joints.
18-29-705.8.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.8.3 Soldered joints.
18-29-705.9 Borosilicate glass joints.
18-29-705.9.1 Caulked joints.
18-29-705.10 Steel.
18-29-705.10.1 Threaded joints.
18-29-705.10.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.11 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.12 PVC plastic.
18-29-705.12.1 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.12.2 Solvent cementing.
18-29-705.12.3 Threaded joints.
18-29-705.13 Vitrified clay.
18-29-705.14 Polyethylene plastic.
18-29-705.14.1 Heat-fusion joints.
18-29-705.14.2 Mechanical joints.
18-29-705.15 Polyolefin plastic.
18-29-705.15.1 Heat-fusion joints.
18-29-705.15.2 Mechanical and compression sleeve joints.
18-29-705.16 Polyvinylidene fluoride plastic.
18-29-705.16.1 Heat-fusion joints.
18-29-705.16.2 Mechanical and compression sleeve joints.
18-29-705.17 Reserved.
18-29-705.18 Joints between different materials.
18-29-705.18.1 Copper pipe or tubing to cast-iron hub pipe.
18-29-705.18.2 Copper or copper-alloy pipe or tubing to galvanized steel pipe.
18-29-705.18.3 Cast-iron pipe to galvanized steel or brass pipe.
18-29-705.18.4 Plastic pipe or tubing to other piping material.
18-29-705.18.5 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-705.18.6 Borosilicate glass to other materials.
18-29-705.18.7 Stainless steel drainage systems to other materials.
18-29-705.19 Drainage slip joints.
18-29-705.20 Caulking ferrules.
18-29-705.21 Reserved.
18-29-705.22 Stainless steel drainage systems.
18-29-706 Connections Between Drainage Piping And Fixtures.
18-29-706.1 Connections and changes in direction.
18-29-706.2 Obstructions.
18-29-706.3 Installation of fittings.
18-29-707 Prohibited Joints and Connections.
18-29-707.1 Prohibited joints.
18-29-708 Cleanouts.
18-29-708.1 Scope.
18-29-708.2 Cleanout plugs.
18-29-708.3 Where required.
18-29-708.3.1 Horizontal drains within buildings.
18-29-708.3.2 Building sewers.
18-29-708.3.3 Changes of direction.
18-29-708.3.4 Base of stack.
18-29-708.3.5 Building drain and building sewer junction.
18-29-708.3.6 Manholes.
18-29-708.4 Concealed piping.
18-29-708.5 Opening direction.
18-29-708.6 Prohibited installation.
18-29-708.7 Minimum size.
18-29-708.8 Pipes 8 inches and larger.
18-29-708.9 Clearances.
18-29-708.10 Access.
18-29-709 Fixture Units.
18-29-709.1 Values for fixtures.
18-29-709.2 Fixtures not listed in Table 18-29-709.1.
18-29-709.3 Conversion of gpm flow to dfu values.
18-29-709.4 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-709.5 Values for indirect waste receptor.
18-29-709.5.1 Clear-water waste receptors.
18-29-710 Drainage System Sizing.
18-29-710.1 Maximum fixture unit load.
18-29-710.1.1 Sizing building drains and building sewers for combined sanitary and storm drainage.
18-29-710.1.2 Minimum size.
18-29-710.1.3 Horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-710.1.4 Vertical stack offsets.
18-29-710.2 Future fixtures.
18-29-710.3 Underground drainage piping.
18-29-711 Offsets in Drainage Piping in Buildings of Five Stories or More.
18-29-711.1 Horizontal branch connections above or below vertical stack offsets.
18-29-711.1.1 Omission of vents for vertical stack offsets.
18-29-711.2 Horizontal branch connections to horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-711.3 Horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-711.3.1 Omission of vents for horizontal stack offsets.
18-29-711.3.2 Suds pressure zones.
18-29-711.3.2.1 Height.
18-29-711.3.2.2 Upstream.
18-29-711.3.2.3 Downstream.
18-29-711.4 Offsets below lowest branch.
18-29-712 Sumps and Ejectors.
18-29-712.1 Building drains below sewer.
18-29-712.2 Check and gate valve required.
18-29-712.3 Sump design.
18-29-712.3.1 Sump pump.
18-29-712.3.2 Sump pit.
18-29-712.3.3 Discharge piping.
18-29-712.3.4 Maximum effluent level.
18-29-712.3.5 Ejector connection to the drainage system.
18-29-712.4 Sewage pumps and sewage ejectors.
18-29-712.4.1 Capacity.
18-29-712.4.2 Duplex equipment required.
18-29-713 Health Care Plumbing.
18-29-713.1 Scope.
18-29-713.2 Bedpan washers and clinical sinks.
18-29-713.3 Indirect waste.
18-29-713.4 Vacuum system station.
18-29-713.5 Bottle system.
18-29-713.6 Central disposal system equipment.
18-29-713.7 Central vacuum or disposal systems.
18-29-713.7.1 Piping.
18-29-713.7.2 Velocity.
18-29-713.8 Vent connections prohibited.
18-29-713.9 Local vents and stacks for bedpan washers.
18-29-713.9.1 Multiple installations.
18-29-713.9.2 Trap required.
18-29-713.9.3 Trap seal maintenance.
18-29-713.10 Sterilizer vents and stacks.
18-29-713.10.1 Drainage.
18-29-713.11 Sterilizer vent stack sizes.
18-29-713.11.1 Bedpan steamers.
18-29-713.11.2 Boiling-type sterilizers.
18-29-713.11.3 Pressure sterilizers.
18-29-713.11.4 Pressure instrument washer sterilizer sizes.
18-29-714 Deliberately omitted.
18-29-715 Backwater Valves.
18-29-715.1 Sewage backflow.
18-29-715.2 Fixture branches.
18-29-715.3 Material.
18-29-715.4 Seal.
18-29-715.5 Diameter.
18-29-715.6 Location.
18-29-716 Flood Control.
18-29-716.1 Flood control devices.
18-29-716.2 Flood control systems.
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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18-29-703.3.1 Combined sewers.
   For combined sewers refer to Sections 18-29-1104 and 18-29-1108.
(Amend Coun. J. 5-7-03, p. 621, § 1)
18-29-703.4 Existing building sewers and drains.
   Where the sanitary drainage system of an existing building is entirely replaced or substantially modified, existing building drains under concrete slabs and existing building sewers that will serve the new or substantially modified system shall be internally examined to verify that the pipe is sloping in the correct direction, is not broken, is not obstructed and is sized for the drainage load of the new or modified plumbing drainage system to be installed. Existing building sewers and drains shall connect with new building sewer and drainage systems only when found by examination and test to conform to the new system in quality of material. The Building Commissioner shall notify the owner to make the changes necessary to conform to this chapter.
(Amend Coun. J. 10-14-21, p. 37722, Art. VII, § 3)
18-29-703.4.1 Inspection of existing underground building sewers for drain and reuse.
   Existing underground building sewers, regardless of their age, may be reused in accordance with Section 18-29-301.3.
(Amend Coun. J. 11-8-12, p. 38872, § 357; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-15, p. 3537, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 10-14-21, p. 37722, Art. VII, § 3)
18-29-704 Drainage Piping and Installation.
18-29-704.1 Slope of horizontal drainage piping.
   Horizontal drainage piping shall be installed in uniform alignment at uniform slopes. The minimum slope of a horizontal drainage pipe shall be in accordance with Table 18-29-704.1.
Table 18-29-704.1
Slope of Horizontal Drainage Pipe
 
Size
(inches)
Minimum Slope
(inch per foot)
2 1/2 or less
1/4
3 to 6
1/8
8 or larger
1/16
 
18-29-704.2 Change in size.
   The size of the drainage piping shall not be reduced in size in the direction of the flow. A 4-inch by 3-inch (100 mm by 75 mm) water closet connection shall not be considered as a reduction in size.
18-29-704.3 Connections to offsets and bases of stacks.
   Horizontal branches shall connect to the bases of stacks at a point located not less than 10 pipe diameters downstream from the stack. Except as prohibited by Section 18-29-711.2, horizontal branches shall connect to horizontal stack offsets at a point located not less than 10 pipe diameters downstream from the upper stack.
18-29-704.4 Future fixtures.
   Drainage piping for future fixtures shall terminate with an approved cap or plug.
18-29-704.5 Reserved.
Editor's note – Coun. J. 10-14-21, p. 37722, Art. VII, § 4, repealed § 18-29-704.5, which pertained to dead ends.
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