Truckee Municipal Code Ch. 15.04 Revisions and Additions to the California Plumbing Code

The following Subsection 312.13 is added to Section 312:

312.13

All water supply piping shall be protected from freezing by a minimum of 36 inches of earth covering. When structural conditions necessitate installation of water piping in exterior walls or above ceilings, the pipes shall be installed to the inside surface of the wall or ceiling framing and insulated, on the unheated side of the pipes, with insulation equivalent to the R value required for the wall or ceiling. Water piping shall not be installed or concealed in unheated walls, ceilings and attics.

The following Subsection 606.9 is added to Section 606:

606.9

The water supply system, including hot and cold, shall be designed and installed for winterization and freeze protection, such as allowing for routine drainage of the system to prevent freezing. The water supply shall be equipped with a readily accessible shut off valve. Valve(s) and/or drain port(s) when used shall be readily accessible, insulated for protection from freezing, and shall be protected from the potential for back flow.

The following Subsection 1212.12 is added to Section 1212:

1212.12 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Installation Policy Procedures

This subsection shall apply to all new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) installations and to existing installations when LPG service is reconnected after service is interrupted.

(a) Two stage regulator/systems shall be installed on all LPG installations with approval steel, or PE piping, installed in accordance with the California Plumbing Code and manufacturing specification.

(b) The first stage regulator shall be installed under the hinged gauge cover supplied with the tank. The atmospheric pressure aperture of the regulator shall be pointed downward. The first stage regulator shall be plumbed to the riser of the yard piping with soft copper tubing or schedule 40 steel pipe with two 90-degree elbow swing joints (one at the top and one below grade) to allow flexibility should tank shifting occur. The riser from the yard piping shall be located not more than three inches (horizontally) from the walls of the tank. The propane tank shall be placed or reinforced concrete supports.

(c) The second stage regulator and riser pipe shall be installed on the gable end of the building at least 20 feet from or out of the direct line of discharge of adjacent shedding roofs. The riser shall have swing joints below grade and be 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches from the wall surface and securely supported/braced to the wall approximately ten inches below the regulator so as to prevent bending of the pipe by lateral snow/ice loads. Second stage regulators installed on the front of a garage shall be protected by a three-inch bollard.

Exception #1: On round, octagon and similarly-shaped structures (without gable ends) the riser may be located under the eaves when approved by the Building Official.

Exception #2: On existing services that are reconnected after service is interrupted, where relocation of the riser is not possible due to structural or topographical constraints the riser may be located under the eave with the approval of the Building Official.

Exception #3: When approved by the Building Official, the second stage regulator and riser may be located under the eaves if protected by a deck which is designed for 1.4 times the snow load for the area approved by the Building Official.

(d) A protective cover, engineered for two times the snow load of the area, shall be installed over the second stage regulator and securely supported to the ground or diagonally to the building wall. When supported to the ground, the footing for the supports shall be founded 18 inches below finish grade and the supporting posts shall be securely fastened to the footing and the cover to prevent dislocation of the supports. When supported diagonally to the wall, the supports shall extend from the drip edge of the cover back to the wall. The angle formed by the supports and the wall shall not exceed 45 degrees from vertical. Existing decks that are used to cover the second stage regulator shall be designed for the snow load.

(e) The riser pipes for the yard piping shall not be imbedded in concrete. Concrete placed around such risers shall be held back at least one inch from all sides of the pipe.

(f) At the time of application for any building permit which involved the installation of the LPG system, the applicant shall submit two copies of LPG system plot plan prepared to scale. Both copies must carry the stamp of approval of the prospective LPG supplier and Fire Marshall. The LPG plot plan shall include, but not be limited to, the tank location, proposed tank capacity (in US gallons), route of yard piping, location of the riser pipe at the building, property boundaries, an outline of all existing/proposed buildings on the lot and a depiction of the ridge line and slope of roofs of any building to be supplied with LPG. The LPG plot plan may be included on the normal site plan but must contain the stamp of approval of the gas supplier and Fire Marshall at the time of the submission to the Building Department.

(g) Location of the shutoff valve at the LPG tank shall be permanently marked by the use of a color-coded snow stake identifying the gas supplier. This stake shall be placed directly adjacent to the tank at the center line of the valve cover and on the side opposite the yard piping riser. Such stake shall be of sufficient height to be visible through anticipated maximum snow depth at the respective location. Installation and maintenance of this snow stake is the responsibility of the LPG user. An LPG shutoff valve shall also be installed at the house under the regulator cover. This valve shall be identified by a placard on the wall directly over the regulator cover and above the anticipated depth of snow.