Santa Clara County Municipal Code Art. 2 Additions, Deletions, and Amendments to 2025 California Plumbing Code

Additions, deletions, and amendments to the 2025 California Plumbing Code ("CPC") are as set forth in this article.

(Ord. No. NS-1100.138, § 10, 12-9-25)

Chapter 1 Division II of the CPC is adopted with the following amendments:

(a) Section 104.5 (Fees) is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

104.5. Fees. A plan review fee shall be paid when plans or documents are required to be submitted for review prior to issuing a plumbing permit. A plumbing permit fee shall be collected when the plans or documents have been approved for permit issuance. The fees shall be in an amount established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

(b) Table 104.5 (Plumbing permit fees) and all references thereto are deleted in their entirety.

(c) Section 104.5.2 (Investigation fees) is amended to read as follows:

104.5.2. Investigation fees. An investigation fee, in addition to the permit fee shall be collected whether a permit is then or subsequently issued. The investigation fee shall be in an amount established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. The payment of such investigation fee shall not exempt a person from compliance with other provisions of this code, not from a penalty prescribed by law.

(d) Section 106.3 (Penalties) is amended to read as follows:

106.3. Penalties. Any person violating any provision of this code shall be subject to penalties as provided in section C1-72 of the Ordinance Code. Each separate day or portion thereof, during which a violation of this code occurs or continues, shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense. The penalties set forth in this section shall be exclusive of, or in addition to, civil penalties and remedies pursuant to Divisions A1 and A37 of the Ordinance Code.

(e) Section 107.1 (General) is amended to read as follows:

107.1. General. In order to hear and decide appeals of orders decisions, or determinations made by the Authority Having Jurisdiction relative to the application and interpretations of this code in connection with the application for a permit, there shall be and is hereby created a Board of Appeals as set forth in Division C2 of the Ordinance Code. The Authority Having Jurisdiction shall be an ex-officio member and shall act as secretary to said board but shall have no vote upon a matter before the board. The Board of Appeals shall be appointed by the governing body and shall hold office at its pleasure. The board shall adopt rules of procedure for conducting its business and shall render decisions and finding in writing to the appellant with a duplicate copy to the Authority Having Jurisdiction. Any appeal of the code official's determination that a violation of this code exists or of an associated notice or penalty related to that violation shall be made pursuant to County Ordinance Code Division A37.

(Ord. No. NS-1100.138, § 10, 12-9-25)

Chapter 4 of the CPC is adopted with the following amendments:

(a) Section 415.0 (Drinking Fountains) is retitled as follows:

415.0. Drinking Fountains and Water Bottle Filling Stations.

(b) A new section, Section 415.0.1 (Water bottle filling station definition), is added to read as follows:

415.0.1. Water Bottle Filling Station Definition. A water bottle filling station means a unit that: (1) supplies potable water to a water bottle from a downward facing water orifice; (2) delivers a minimum of 8.0 gallons per hour (gph) of 50° F water; (3) is wall- or floor- mounted and is a separate unit or a combination unit including a drinking fountain; and (4) complies with the California Title 24 accessibility standards, is listed by an approved listing agency, and is certified to be lead-free compliant including NSF/ANSl.61-Annex G, AB 1953.

(c) Section 415.1 (Application) is amended to read as follows:

415.1. Application. Drinking fountains shall be self-closing and both drinking foundations and water bottle filling stations shall comply with applicable sections of ASME A112.19.1/CSA B45.2, ASME A112.19.2/CSA B45.1, or ASME A112.19.3/CSA B45.4 and NSF 61. Permanently installed electric water coolers and bottle filling stations shall also comply with UL 399. Drinking foundations shall be installed and so regulated that a jet of water extending at least 2 inches (51 mm) in height from the water orifice shall be constantly available. The orifice shall not be accessible to the mouth of the drinker nor subject to immersion.

(d) Section 415.2 (Drinking Fountain Alternatives) is amended to read as follows:

415.2. Drinking Fountain Alternatives. Where food is consumed indoors, water stations shall be permitted to be substituted for drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations. Drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations shall not be required for an occupant load of 30 or less.

(e) A new section, Section 415.2.1 (Water Bottle Filling Stations—Where Required), is added to read as follows:

415.2.1. Water Bottle Filling Stations—Where Required. Water bottle filling stations shall be installed where drinking fountains are required per Table 422.1 at a ratio of one unit per each floor of the building. Water bottle filling stations shall be permitted to be substituted for required drinking fountains for up to 50 percent of the requirements for drinking fountains. Water bottle filling stations shall not be required on floors which have an occupant load of 30 or less. If floors have multiple wings that are not integrated and accessible to all occupants, one additional water bottle filling station shall be required in each separate wing not providing access to all occupants.

(f) Section 415.3 (Drainage Connection) is amended to read as follows:

415.3. Drainage connection. Drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations shall be permitted to discharge directly into the drainage system or indirectly through an air break in accordance with Section 809.1.

(g) Section 415.4 (Location) is amended to read as follows:

415.4. Location. Drinking fountains and water bottle filling stations shall not be installed in toilet rooms.

(Ord. No. NS-1100.138, § 10, 12-9-25)