Chapter 6 — WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION
605.12 PVC Plastic Pipe and Joints. PVC plastic pipe
California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-09-10 · California
Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.
and fitting joining methods shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions and shall comply with Section 605.12.1 through Section 605.12.3. PVC piping shall not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Exception: PVC piping in a location exposed to direct sunlight shall not exceed 24 inches (610 mm) in length and be wrapped with not less than 0.04 of an inch (1.02 mm) thick UV resistant tape or otherwise protected from UV degradation . 605.12.1 Mechanical Joints. Mechanical joints shall be designed to provide a permanent seal and shall be of the mechanical or push-on joint. The mechanical joint shall include a pipe spigot that has a wall thickness to withstand without deformation or collapse; the compressive force exerted where the fitting is tightened. The push-on joint shall have a minimum wall thickness of the bell at any point between the ring and the pipe barrel. The elastomeric gasket shall comply with ASTM D3139, and be of such size and shape as to provide a compressive force against the spigot and socket after assembly to provide a positive seal.
605.12.2 Solvent Cement Joints. Solvent cement joints for PVC pipe and fittings shall be clean from dirt and moisture. Pipe shall be cut square and pipe shall be deburred. Where surfaces to be joined are cleaned and free of dirt, moisture, oil, and other foreign material, apply primer purple in color that complies with ASTM F656. Primer shall be applied to the surface of the pipe and fitting is softened. Solvent cement that complies with ASTM D2564 shall be applied to all joint surfaces. Joints shall be made while both the inside socket surface and outside surface of pipe are wet with solvent cement. Hold joint in place and undisturbed for 1 minute after assembly.
[HCD 1 & HCD 2] Plastic pipe and fittings joined with solvent cement shall utilize Low VOC primer(s), if a primer is required, and Low VOC solvent cement(s) as defined in Section 214.0. 605.12.3 Threaded Joints. Threads shall comply with ASME B1.20.1. A minimum of Schedule 80 shall be permitted to be threaded; however, the pressure rating shall be reduced by 50 percent. The use of molded fittings shall not result in a 50 percent reduction in the pressure rating of the pipe provided that the molded fittings shall be fabricated so that the wall thickness of the material is maintained at the threads. Thread sealant compound that is compatible with the pipe and fitting, insoluble in water and nontoxic shall be applied to male threads. Caution shall be used during assembly to prevent over tightening of the PVC components once the thread sealant has been applied. Female PVC threaded fittings shall be used with plastic male threads only.
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Ask AI about this code▸Contents — California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5)
- Chapter 1 — GENERAL CODE PROVISIONS
- Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
- Chapter 3 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
- Chapter 4 — PLUMBING FIXTURES AND FIXTURE FITTINGS
- Chapter 5 — WATER HEATERS
▸Chapter 6 — WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION
Overview- 601.1 Applicability. This chapter shall govern the materials,
- 601.2 Water Supply and Flushing. Each plumbing fixture shall b…
- 601.3 Identification of a Potable and Nonpotable
- 601.4 Schools of Cosmetology and Cosmetological
- 601.5 Meat and Poultry Processing Plants. [AGR]
- 601.6 Collection Centers and Facilities. [AGR]
- 601.7 Renderers. [AGR] This area shall be provided with
- 601.8 Horse Meat and Pet Food Establishments. [AGR]
- 602.1 Prohibited Installation. No installation of potable
- 602.2 Cross-Contamination. No person shall make a connection o…
- 602.3 Backflow Prevention. No plumbing fixture, device,
- 602.4 Approval by Authority. No water piping supplied
- 603.1 General. Cross-connection control shall be provided
- 603.2 Approval of Devices or Assemblies. Before a
- 603.3 Backflow Prevention Devices, Assemblies, and
- 603.4 General Requirements. Assemblies shall comply
- 603.5 Specific Requirements. Specific requirements for
- 604.1 Pipe, Tube, and Fittings. Pipe, tube, fittings, solvent …
- 604.2 Lead Content. The maximum allowable lead content
- 604.3 Copper or Copper Alloy Tube. Copper or copper
- 604.4 Hard-Drawn Copper or Copper Alloy Tubing.
- 604.5 Flexible Connectors. Flexible water connectors
- 604.6 Cast-Iron Fittings. Cast-iron fittings up to and
- 604.7 Malleable Iron Fittings. Malleable iron water fittings s…
- 604.8 Previously Used Piping and Tubing. Piping and
- 604.9 Epoxy Coating. The epoxy coating used on existing, under…
- 604.10 Plastic Materials. Approved plastic materials shall
- 604.11 Solder. Solder shall comply with the requirements of
- 604.12 Flexible Corrugated Connectors. Flexible corrugated con…
- 604.13 Water Heater Connectors. Flexible metallic (copper and …
- 605.1 Copper or Copper Alloy Pipe, Tubing, and
- 605.2 CPVC Plastic Pipe and Joints. CPVC plastic pipe
- 605.3 CPVC/AL/CPVC Plastic Pipe and Joints. Chlorinated polyvi…
- 605.4 Ductile Iron Pipe and Joints. Ductile iron pipe
- 605.5 Galvanized Steel Pipe and Joints. Galvanized
- 605.6 PE Plastic Pipe/Tubing and Joints. PE plastic
- 605.7 PE-AL-PE Plastic Pipe/Tubing and Joints. PEAL-PE plastic…
- 605.8 PE-RT. Polyethylene of raised temperature (PE-RT)
- 605.9 PEX Plastic Tubing and Joints. PEX plastic tubing and fi…
- 605.10 PEX-AL-PEX Plastic Tubing and Joints. PEXAL-PEX plastic…
- 605.11 Polypropylene (PP) Piping and Joints. PP pipe
- 605.12 PVC Plastic Pipe and Joints. PVC plastic pipe
- 605.13 Stainless Steel Pipe and Joints. Joining methods for st…
- 605.14 Slip Joints. In water piping, slip joints shall be perm…
- 605.15 Dielectric Unions. Dielectric unions where installed
- 605.16 Joints Between Various Materials. Joints
- 606.1 General. Valves up to and including 2 inches (50
- 606.2 Fullway Valve. A fullway valve controlling outlets
- 606.3 Multidwelling Units. In multidwelling units, one or
- 606.4 Multiple Openings. Valves used to control two or
- 606.5 Control Valve. A control valve shall be installed
- 606.6 Accessible. Required shutoff or control valves shall
- 606.7 Multiple Fixtures. A single control valve shall be
- 606.8 [OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 3, 4 & 5] Each riser or branch
- 606.9 Check Valve Required. All systems that circulate
- 606.10 Leak Detection Devices. Where leak detection
- 607.1 General. Potable water supply tanks shall be installed in
- 607.2 Private Well Water Tanks. Pressurized potable water
- 607.3 Potable Water Tanks. Potable water supply tanks,
- 607.4 Venting. Tanks used for potable water shall be tightly
- 607.5 Overflow. Tanks shall have not less than a 16 square
- 607.6 Valves. Pressurized tanks shall be provided with a listed
- 608.1 Inadequate Water Pressure. Where the water pressure in t…
- 608.2 Excessive Water Pressure. Where static water
- 608.3 Expansion Tanks, and Combination Tempera-
- 608.4 Pressure Relief Valves. Each pressure relief valve
- 608.5 Discharge Piping. The discharge piping serving a
- 608.6 Water-Heating Devices. A water-heating device
- 608.7 Vacuum Relief Valves. Where a hot-water storage
- 609.1 Installation. Water piping shall be adequately supported…
- 609.2 Trenches. Water pipes shall not be run or laid in the
- 609.3 Under Concrete Slab. Water piping installed within
- 609.4 Testing. Upon completion of a section or of the entire
- 609.5 Unions. Unions shall be installed in the water supply
- 609.6 Location. Except as provided in Section 609.7, no
- 609.7 Abutting Lot. Nothing contained in this code shall
- 609.8 Pumps. Pumps shall be installed in accordance with
- 609.9 Low-Pressure Cutoff Required on Booster
- 609.10 Disinfection of Potable Water System. New or
- 609.11 Water Hammer. [Not adopted by HCD] Building
- 609.12 Pipe Insulation. Insulation of domestic hot water
- 610.1 Size. The size of each water meter and each potable
- 610.2 Pressure Loss. Where a water filter, water softener,
- 610.3 Quantity of Water. The quantity of water required to be
- 610.4 Sizing Water Supply and Distribution Systems.
- 610.5 Sizing per Appendices A, C, and M . Except as
- 610.6 Friction and Pressure Loss. Except where the type
- 610.7 Conditions for Using Table 610.4. On a proposed
- 610.8 Size of Meter and Building Supply Pipe Using
- 610.9 Size of Branches. Where Table 610.4 is used, the minimum…
- 610.10 Sizing for Flushometer Valves. Where using
- 610.11 Sizing Systems for Flushometer Tanks. The size
- 610.12 Sizing for Velocity. Water piping systems shall not
- 610.13 Exceptions. The provisions of this section relative
- 611.1 Application. Drinking water treatment units shall
- 611.2 Air Gap Discharge. Discharge from drinking water
- 611.3 Connection Tubing. The tubing to and from drinking water…
- 611.4 Sizing of Residential Softeners. Residential-use
- 612.1 Installation. Residential Sprinkler Systems shall be
- 613.1 The domestic water-heating equipment and distribu-
- 613.2 At least two pieces of hot-water-heating equipment shall
- 613.3 Instantaneous heaters are permitted for supplying hot
- 613.4 Water storage tanks shall be fabricated of corrosion-
- 613.5 Temperature control valves shall be provided to auto-
- 613.6 Hot-water distribution system serving patient care areas
- 613.7 At fixtures where water exceeding 125°F (52°C) is acces-
- 613.8 Sectionalizing valves shall be provided as required by
- 613.9 Hot water distribution shall include test ports and valved
- 614.1 Dialysis water feedlines shall be CPVC (chlorinated
- 614.2 All piping for multistation or central dialysis units sh…
- 614.3 All valves shall be located in accessible locations.
- 614.4 Piping and valves shall be identified according to their
- 614.5 A means of preventing backwashing or flushing of the
- 614.6 A continuous audible alarm shall sound at the nurses’
- 614.7 Water treatment equipment and water used for dialysis
- 614.8 A diagram of all piping as installed shall be posted at …
- 615.1 Uses Not Permitted.
- 615.2 [OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 3, 4 & 5] Non-potable water sys-
- 615.3 [OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 3, 4 & 5] Outlets for non-potable
- 616.1 For new acute care hospital buildings submitted after
- 616.2 The emergency supply of water shall be provided at ade-
- 616.3 Storage tank connections and circulation shall be
- Chapter 7 — SANITARY DRAINAGE
- Chapter 8 — INDIRECT WASTES
- Chapter 9 — VENTS
- Chapter 10 — TRAPS AND INTERCEPTORS
- Chapter 11 — STORM DRAINAGE
- Chapter 12 — FUEL GAS PIPING
- Chapter 13 — HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND MEDICAL GAS AND MEDICA…
- Chapter 14 — FIRESTOP PROTECTION
- Chapter 15 — ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES FOR NONPOTABLE APPLICATIONS
- Chapter 16 — NONPOTABLE RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS
- Chapter 17 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
- Appendix A — RECOMMENDED RULES FOR SIZING THE WATER SUPPLY SYS…
- Appendix B — EXPLANATORY NOTES ON COMBINATION WASTE AND VENT S…
- Appendix C — ALTERNATE PLUMBING SYSTEMS
- Appendix D — SIZING STORM WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
- Appendix E — MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOME PARKS AND RECREATIONAL V…
- Appendix F — FIREFIGHTER BREATHING AIR REPLENISHMENT SYSTEMS
- Appendix G — SIZING OF VENTING SYSTEMS
- Appendix H — PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS
- Appendix I — INSTALLATION STANDARDS
- Appendix J — COMBINATION OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR COMBUSTION AND …
- Appendix K — POTABLE RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS
- Appendix L — SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
- Appendix M — PEAK WATER DEMAND CALCULATOR
- Appendix N — IMPACT OF WATER TEMPERATURE ON THE POTENTIAL FOR …
- Appendix O — NON-SEWERED SANITATION SYSTEMS
- Appendix P — PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Appendix Q — INDOOR HORTICULTURAL FACILITIES
- Appendix R — TINY HOUSES
- Appendix S — ONSITE STORMWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS