Public Works Department
Plumbing Regulations
I. General
A. Before any person, firm or corporation shall undertake to perform any Sanitary Wastewater Plumbing tasks or, to make any sewer connection to a public sewer within the corporate limits of the Town of Ocean City, he/she or they shall provide evidence that he, or a designated representative of the firm or corporation, continuously, actively engaged in the work of plumbing, has a valid Master Plumbers License issued by the State of Maryland in accordance with Article 56, Section 444-462A; Annotated Code of Maryland. The Master Plumbers License shall state, "Insured for Plumbing Work".
B. All persons, firms or corporations working within the corporate limits of the Town of Ocean City will faithfully observe and comply with the State Plumbing Code and the plumbing regulations of the Town of Ocean City. Violations of these regulations shall constitute grounds for refusal of the issuance of plumbing permits. Violators shall also be reported to the State of Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation with a recommendation that appropriate action be taken as may be determined by the Department. Should such recommendations become necessary, no additional Plumbing Permits would be issued pending final Board action.
C. Each person, firm or corporation performing work under these regulations will maintain in a safe and acceptable condition for a period of one (1) year all ditches and excavation which may be open for performance of their work. All excavations will be replaced with equal or better material than that removed to permit work.
D. All persons, firms or corporations performing plumbing work within the corporate limits of the Town of Ocean City are required to register all employees performing plumbing tasks, with the Town of Ocean City. Employees shall either be licensed Maryland Masters, Journeymen or Apprentices as required by the State Board of Commissioners of Practical Plumbing. As new employees are hired they shall be registered with the Town of Ocean City within five (5) days and have their apprentice plumber license within sixty days. Failure to comply will result in filing a letter with the State Board of Practical Plumbing for appropriate action. Should such action become necessary, no additional plumbing permits would be issued, pending final Board action.
II. General Definitions
Definitions for the purpose of clarifying the follow terms used herein are hereby stated as follows:
A. Building drain - Means that part of the lower piping system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipe inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer beginning three (3) feet outside the building wall.
B. Building sewer - Means that part of the drainage system which extends from the end of the building drain and conveys the discharge to a public sewer, private sewer, individual sewage-disposal system, or other point of disposal.
C. Hook-up - Means the process of hooking the building sewer into the public sewer.
D. State Plumbing Code
1. 2006 National Standard Plumbing Code Illustrated (National Association of Plumbing Heating-Cooling Contractors)
2. 2007 Supplement to the 2006 National Standard Plumbing Code (National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors)
3. 2006 Edition, National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI, Z223.1, NFPA 54
4. Board Modifications to the Code
5. Modifications to the 2006 National Standard Plumbing Code Illustrated as published in the Maryland Register
E. Public sewer - Means a common sewer directly controlled by the Town of Ocean City. Generally, the public sewer exists only in streets, alleys, right-of-ways, and sometimes in easements.
F. Tie-in - Means the process of hooking the building drain or trailer drain into the building or trailer sewer.
III. Plumbing Permit
A. Prior to issuance of a Plumbing Permit, written approval must be presented to show approvals from appropriate Municipal planning agencies to allow construction requested.
B. Before a building permit is issued, a Plumbing Permit shall be obtained from the Town of Ocean City. Two (2) sets of construction drawings with necessary approvals shall be submitted for review and compliance with these regulations and the State Plumbing Code three (3) days prior to issuance of the Plumbing Permit. One (1) set will be retained on file and one (1) set returned to the plumber. Plumbing permits are required on all new plumbing systems and parts of existing systems that are to be altered, extended or repaired. The Town of Ocean City Plumbing Application Form will be completed prior to issuance of a Plumbing Permit.
C. Plumbing Permits will be issued to that person and/or persons within a firm or corporation, who is licensed as a Master plumber, insured to work, responsible for the plumbing work of that firm or corporation. No other parties will be allowed to sign the application or to receive plumbing permits.
D. The Master plumber performing the plumbing work, waterworks, or sewer construction will be on site for all scheduled inspections.
E. Plumbing Permit and Connection Fees shall be paid at the time permit is issued.
IV Procedures For Changing Plumbers
A. When a property owner or general contractor wishes to change the plumber of record, a letter requesting the change shall be submitted to the Town of Ocean City. The letter shall state who the plumber of record is and who he wishes to complete the plumbing project.
B. The contractor or property owner will notify his present plumber of this change and request that he agree to this change. The Plumbing Permit will become active at such time as the plumber of record has signed off and the proposed plumber has signed on.
C. In any event that a Plumber refuses to sign off a Plumbing Permit, the Town of Ocean City reserves the right to void the existing permit and refund fees paid minus the administrative costs. In this situation, a new Plumbing Permit may be issued upon payment of the permit fees.
V. Building Drains Below Sewer
Building drains that cannot be discharged to the public sewer by gravity flow shall discharge into a tightly covered and vented sump from which the liquid shall be lifted and discharged into the building gravity drainage by automatic pumping equipment. Such equipment specifications, in complete detail, must in every case meet the requirements of the State Plumbing Code and be submitted to the Town of Ocean City for approval. The design storage of building drainage in a sump or ejector shall not exceed a period of twelve (12) hours. Sump and pumping equipment shall be designed, when receiving the discharge of more than six (6) water closets, with duplex pumping equipment. All sumps and ejectors shall be properly vented in accordance with the provisions of the State Plumbing Code.
VI. Building Sewer Size
A. Building sewers shall be sized in accordance with the requirements of the Maryland State Plumbing Code for the number of fixtures to be connected there to. The minimum size of the building sewer shall be four (4) inches. All reductions in pipe size at the point of connection to public sewer shall be made with reducers and fittings of the same materials of the public sewer or adapters approved by the Town of Ocean City.
VII. Existing Building Sewers
Connections to existing building sewers, where necessary, shall be made with the use of Fernco adapters with stiffeners properly installed. A concrete pad shall support the Fernco adapters. No double hubs, fittings having a hub in the direction opposite the flow, or tee branches will be permitted. Saddles will not be permitted on the building sewer, unless approved by the Town of Ocean City.
VIII. Building Sewer Grade
All building sewers shall be installed in uniform alignment at a uniform grade. Grade shall conform to the provisions of Maryland State Plumbing Code for size of pipe installed. Building sewer shall be installed below the recorded frost penetration, but in no case less than 1.5 feet below existing grade except with special written permission from the Town of Ocean City.
IX. Building Sewers In Filled Ground
Building sewers shall be laid in loose sand or fill. Bottom of trenches must be adequately tamped for support of building sewers to prevent settlement. Refill materials shall be hand placed and mechanically tamped in six (6) inch layers placed uniformly on both sides of the pipe, to a point of at least one (1) foot above the pipe crown. Each layer shall be thoroughly compacted for the full trench width and under, around, and over the pipe. The remainder of the trench shall be backfilled in layers not exceeding twelve (12) inches in thickness and each layer shall be thoroughly compacted. Water service pipe shall not be run or laid in the same trench as the building sewer as provided for in the State Plumbing Code. When building sewers are laid in parking or drive areas, less than thirty (30) inches below finish grade, the building sewer shall be encased in concrete.
X. Public Sewer Connections
Where ground water is encountered at point of connection to the public sewer, excavation must be pumped dry before the plug is removed from the public sewer. Public Sewer connections must not be used to drain ditches. Connections will not be permitted to building drains where existing sections of the building sewers are of material other than that specified for new building sewers. Existing building drains or building sewers of service weight cast iron soil pipe in good condition may be re-utilized after inspection by a representative of the Town of Ocean City.
XI. Piping Through Adjacent Property
Sewer and water piping shall not be connected or installed on a property other than the property to be served. Plumbing connections, which cannot be made except by the crossing of non-serviced property, may, with the permission of the administrative authority, be carried through a right-of-way or easement across non-serviced property provided that:
A. The property owner desiring service, without any cost or liability to the Town of Ocean City, obtains all privileges of right-of-way or easement.
B. Such easement or right-of-way shall meet all regulatory requirements of the authority having jurisdiction; and
C. Such easement or right-of-way shall be granted and conveyed by formal deed recorded in the land records of Worcester County.
XII. Installation Of Underground Sanitary Sewer Pipe
Infiltration of ground water shall be prevented from entering the Sanitary Sewer System at all times. While the installation of underground work is in progress, the following practice will be strictly adhered to:
A. All excavations shall be kept entirely free from water while construction work is in progress.
B. Pipe and fittings shall be carefully handled and lowered into the trench. The ends of pipe shall butt against each other in such a manner that there shall be no shoulder or unevenness on the inside of the pipe.
C. Special care shall be taken to insure that the pipes are well bedded on a solid foundation. Bell holes shall be dug sufficiently large to insure the making of proper joints.
D. Pipe and fittings shall be thoroughly cleaned before they are laid and shall be kept clean until the acceptance of the completed work. At the close of each day the end of the pipe line shall be tightly closed with an expansion type plug so that no dirt, water, or other foreign substance may enter the line. The plug shall be kept in place until pipe construction is again resumed.
E. Whenever a pipe or fitting requires cutting to fit into the line or to bring it to the required location, the work shall be done in a satisfactory manner so as to leave a smooth end.
F. No pumping of water from the trench will be allowed to enter the sanitary sewer system either through the completed pipe or through manholes.
XIII. Existing Septic Tanks
Existing concrete septic tanks shall be filled, with sand, in such a manner as to eliminate possibility of future voids and cave-ins. Existing metal septic tanks shall be removed and the excavation back-filled and tamped in twelve (12) inch layers to prevent settlement. Prior to removal or filling of the septic tanks, tanks shall be pumped out and contents disposed of in a manner acceptable to the Worcester County Health Department.
XIV. Drainage Pipe Cleanouts
The plumber will insure that a proper cleanout exists at the junction of the building and public sewer on the property for which he is obtaining a permit or include the installation of a cleanout on the application for a permit.
A. Change of Direction All changes in direction of building sewers will be made by the appropriate use of 45° wyes, 1/4 bends, 6th, 8th or 16th bends or by a combination of these or equivalent fittings. Cleanouts shall be installed at all points where building sewers make a change in direction of 45° or greater.
B. Location All cleanouts shall not be more than seventy-five (75) feet apart in horizontal drainage lines of four (4) inch nominal diameter or less and not more than one hundred (100) feet for pipes up to eight (8) inch diameter.
C. Cleanout size All cleanouts shall be of the same nominal pipe size up to four (4) inch and not less than four (4) inch for larger piping.
D. Manholes for Large Pipes For a building sewer of eight (8) inch or larger in diameter, precast manholes and covers shall be provided and located at each change of direction, size, alignment, grade or elevation and at intervals of not more than three hundred (300) feet.
E. Building Drain and Building Sewer
1. A cleanout shall be installed near the junction of the building drain and the building sewer.The cleanout will be at finish grade, if outside of the building, or basement floor level if the drain is run under the basement floor.
2. A cleanout shall be placed at the junction of the building sewer and the public sewer within twelve (12) inches inside of the property line, or as determined by the Town of Ocean City.
3. All cleanouts in building sewers shall be brought to grade, properly marked and properly protected with a two (2) foot by two (2) foot by four (4) inch concrete collar.
F. Direction of Flow
Every cleanout shall be installed so that the cleanout opens in the direction of flow in the drainage line or right angles thereto.
G. Cleanout Cap and Ferrules
Cleanout caps and ferrules shall be the 1300 series Baltimore, New York and Richmond Regulations Cleanout Caps and Ferrules with a one (1) inch high raised solid hex or counter-sunk brass plug. For raised solid hex head caps #F1314 for four (4) inch pipe and # F1315 for six (6) inch pipe shall be used. For counter sunk caps # G1314 for four (4) inch pipe and # G1315 for six (6) inch pipe shall be used. All ferrules shall be installed using a lead and oakum joint.A "Panella" type cast iron ferrule with brass caps as listed above may be used. All cleanouts shall be traffic bearing and shall not create a tripping hazard.
XV. Outside Showers
A. Outside shower drains shall be required whenever an outside shower is installed on multi-unit buildings and single family buildings when hot water is supplied to the shower.
B. A concrete pad thirty inch by four (4) inch, sloped towards the drain, shall be required with a sand trap installed to protect the building drain whenever an outside shower drain is required.
XVI. Interceptors And Separators
A. A grease interceptor and/or separator shall be installed in the waste line leading from sinks, drains, or other fixtures for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease, flammable wastes, sand, solids and other ingredients harmful to the building drainage system, the collection system, wastewater treatment plant or treatment processes. All restaurants, hotel kitchens, bars, factory cafeterias or restaurants, carry-out kitchens, clubs or similar establishments as may be determined by the Town of Ocean City, shall be required to provide interceptors and separators.
B. The size, type and location of each interceptor and/or separator shall conform to State plumbing Code and be approved by the Town of Ocean City. No wastes other than those requiring treatment or separation shall be discharged into any interceptor or separator. Interceptors and separators shall be maintained in an efficient operating condition by periodic removal of accumulated grease, scum, oil or other floating substances and solids collected in the interceptor or separator.
C. Laundromats shall be equipped with an interceptor having a wire basket or similar device, removable for cleaning, that will prevent passage into the drainage system of solids one-half inch (1/2”) or larger in size, string, rags, buttons, or other materials detrimental to the sewer system.
XVII. Swimming Pool Backwash
A. Pool filter backwash and scum overflow will be disposed into the Sanitary Sewer System operated by the Town of Ocean City. There will be an annual sewer service charge as determined by the Town of Ocean City.
B. Pools may be drained into the Sanitary Sewer System for painting or cleaning.
C. Pool deck drains will not be permitted into the sanitary sewer system, but will drain into open spillways or storm drainage mains, with the approval of the Town of Ocean City Engineering Department. Drinking fountains and showers shall discharge into the sanitary sewer through the sand interceptor as stated in D below.
D. The pool backwash will discharge through an approved sand interceptor before it goes to the Sanitary Sewer System. Sand interceptors will comply with the State Plumbing Code.
XVIII. Testing Of Plumbing Systems
All inspections shall be requested through the Inspection Section. An inspection requested before noon, will, when possible be scheduled for that afternoon of the same day. An inspection requested during the afternoon will be scheduled for the following morning. All inspections shall be requested using the Plumbing Permit number as a reference. The master plumber will ensure that he/she is prepared for all scheduled inspections.
A. Underground Testing The underground sanitary system shall be tested by insertion of a test plug at the point of connection with the public sewer. It shall then be filled with water under a head of not less than ten (10) feet. The water level at the top of the test head shall not drop for at least fifteen minutes. All excavations made in connection with the installation of the building sewer shall be open trench work and shall be kept entirely open until the pipe has been tested, inspected and accepted by a representative of the Town of Ocean City.
B. Building Drains The piping of all plumbing drainage and venting systems, and building sewers shall be tested upon completion of the rough piping installation by water or air and proved watertight, by one of the following methods:
C. Water Test The water test shall be applied to the drainage system either in its entirety or in sections after rough piping has been installed. The system shall be filled with water to point of overflow. No section shall be tested with less than a ten (10) foot head of water. The water shall be kept in the system or the portion under test at least fifteen (15) minutes before inspection starts.
D. Air Test The air test shall be made by attaching an air compressor testing apparatus to any suitable openings and, after closing all other inlets and outlets to the system, forcing air into the system until there is a uniform, gauge pressure of five (5) pounds per square inch or sufficient to balance a column of mercury ten (10) inches in height. This pressure shall be held without introduction of additional air for a period of at least fifteen (15) minutes The Town of Ocean City requires water, air, smoke or a combination of tests to be performed on every new or relocated building, alterations, or repairs to existing buildings.
XIX. Final Inspection
Final inspection will be made for the purpose of determining that fixtures are properly set, cross connections do not exist, hot and cold water supply is available in each fixture and all traps are charged with water. After the plumbing fixtures have been set and their traps filled with water, the final test for gas and water tightness of the complete drainage and vent system shall be made by a smoke test. It shall be made by filling all traps with water and then introducing into the entire system a pungent, thick smoke produced by one or more smoke machines. When smoke appears at stack openings on the roof, they shall be closed and a pressure equivalent to a one (1) inch water column shall be built and maintained for the period of the inspection. Any and all leaks shall be repaired and proved gas and water tight, before approval of the drainage system.
XX. Maintenance
The plumbing and drainage system of every building shall be maintained in such a manner as to be at all times in compliance with the provisions of the Maryland State Plumbing Code. Existing plumbing may remain unchanged unless immediate hazards to health, life, or property are evident.