1.2 Permits, Inspections, Tests, & Disinfection (UPC Chapter 1, 609, 712)
Key Takeaways
UPC 104.4.3 voids a permit if work does not start within 180 days or is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after starting.
UPC 105.2 lists three required inspections: underground before backfill, rough-in before wall or ceiling membranes, and final on completion.
A DWV water test needs at least a 10-foot head held 15 minutes; the air test is 5 psi held 15 minutes, and plastic pipe may not be air tested (UPC 712).
Water supply piping is tested at not less than its working pressure for 15 minutes; a 50 psi air test may substitute except on plastic piping (UPC 609.4).
Washington's 609.9 amendment disinfects new or repaired water systems at 50 ppm chlorine for 24 hours or 200 ppm for 3 hours.
Administration: The Authority Having Jurisdiction
UPC Chapter 1 gives the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) power to enforce the code, interpret it, and adopt supplemental rules. The AHJ is usually the city or county plumbing inspector. Washington's WAC 51-56 amendments change two Chapter 1 items:
- 102.1 Conflict Between Codes is deleted.
- 103.3.1 Certification is replaced by "state rules and regulations concerning certification shall apply." In other words, chapter 18.106 RCW controls who may do plumbing (Section 1.1), not local licensing.
The AHJ acting in good faith is not personally liable for enforcement actions (103.2). A violation of the code is a misdemeanor, and each day it continues is a separate offense (106.3). A notice of correction must be complied with within 10 days of receipt (106.2).
Permits (UPC 104)
Under 104.1, it is unlawful to install, alter, repair, replace, or remodel a plumbing system without first obtaining a separate plumbing permit for each separate building or structure. The permit application must describe the work and location, state the intended occupancy, and include construction documents when the AHJ requires them.
Exempt work (104.2)
A permit is not required for:
- Stopping leaks in drain, soil, waste, or vent pipe. However, if a trap or drain, soil, waste, or vent pipe becomes defective and must be removed and replaced with new material, that is new work and needs a permit and inspection.
- Clearing stoppages, including removing and reinstalling a water closet, or repairing leaks in pipes, valves, or fixtures, if the repair does not replace or rearrange valves, pipes, or fixtures.
An exemption from the permit does not authorize work that violates the code.
Expiration and extensions
| Rule | UPC section | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Application with no permit issued | 104.3.3 | Expires 180 days after filing; one extension of up to 180 days |
| Work never commenced | 104.4.3 | Permit void 180 days after issuance |
| Work suspended or abandoned after starting | 104.4.3 | Permit void after 180 days |
| Renewing an expired permit, no plan changes, suspension not over 1 year | 104.4.3 | New permit at one-half the normal fee |
| Extension of an unexpired permit | 104.4.4 | Written request; up to 180 days; only once |
Work started before a permit is issued triggers a special investigation. The investigation fee equals the permit fee (104.5.1 and 104.5.2).
Inspections (UPC 105)
Section 105.2 requires three inspections. The permittee is responsible for scheduling them:
- Underground inspection: after trenches are excavated and bedded and piping is installed, but before backfill.
- Rough-in inspection: before wall or ceiling membranes are installed.
- Final inspection: when the installation is complete.
No plumbing may be covered, concealed, or put into use until it has been tested, inspected, and approved (105.2.1.1 and 105.2.1.2). If work is covered first, the AHJ can order it uncovered (105.2.1). The AHJ may require an inspection request not less than 1 working day in advance (105.2.3). Section 105.2.4 requires notice at least 24 hours before the work is to be inspected. The permit holder must make sure the work will stand the test before calling (105.2.5) and must furnish the equipment, material, and labor for the test. A reinspection fee may be charged when work is not ready, corrections are not made, approved plans are not available, or access is not provided (105.2.6). It is not meant to charge the first time a job is rejected for a code violation.
Testing the DWV System (UPC 712)
Section 712.1 allows water or air testing, except that plastic pipe shall not be tested with air.
- Water test (712.2): Close every opening except the highest one and fill the system to the point of overflow. When testing in sections, no section may be tested with less than a 10-foot head of water. The upper 10 feet of the preceding section must be retested with each new section. The water must stand at least 15 minutes before inspection starts, and the system must be tight at all points.
- Air test (712.3): Close all other inlets and outlets and apply a uniform gauge pressure of 5 psi, or enough to balance 10 inches of mercury. Hold it without adding air for at least 15 minutes.
- Final test: After fixtures are set and their traps are filled, the system gets a final test (712.1). The AHJ may require an air test of an existing system believed to be defective (105.3.1).
A 10-foot head of water exerts about 4.3 psi (10 × 0.433). That is why the water test and the 5 psi air test are roughly comparable. Tests are conducted in the presence of the AHJ or its representative (105.3).
Testing and Disinfecting the Water System
Pressure test (609.4): Test the completed hot and cold water system, or each section, with potable water at not less than the working pressure under which it will be used. The piping must hold without leaking for at least 15 minutes. A 50 psi air test may substitute for the water test, except for plastic piping.
Disinfection (WAC 51-56 amendment to 609.9): Where the AHJ requires disinfection of new or repaired potable water systems, use the method prescribed by the health authority. If the health authority prescribes none, use this procedure:
- Flush with potable water until potable water appears at the outlets.
- Fill the system with chlorinated water and valve it off. Use either 50 ppm for 24 hours or 200 ppm for 3 hours.
- Flush until the chlorine residual at the outlets does not exceed that of the flushing water.
- Repeat if a bacteriological test by a laboratory certified for drinking water in Washington shows contamination persists.
Exam trap: "Test water piping at 100 psi" is not the UPC rule. The UPC test pressure is the working pressure, and the air alternative is 50 psi.
A plumbing permit was issued in March, but the contractor never started work. Under UPC 104.4.3, when does the permit expire?
60 days after issuance
90 days after issuance
180 days after issuance if work has not commenced
One year after issuance regardless of progress
A plumber must test a new PVC drain, waste, and vent rough-in on a two-story house. Which test method complies with UPC 712?
A 50 psi air test held for 15 minutes
An air test at 5 psi held for 15 minutes
A water test with at least a 10-foot head of water held for at least 15 minutes before inspection starts
A water test at working pressure held for 15 minutes
Washington's amendment to UPC 609.9 allows which chlorine disinfection procedure when no other method is prescribed by the health authority?
50 ppm chlorine held for 24 hours, or 200 ppm chlorine held for 3 hours
100 ppm chlorine held for 12 hours only
Flushing alone until water runs clear
10 ppm chlorine held for 1 hour
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.