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Health department says water is not safe to drink,

Mr. Inspector

Mr. Inspector

SAWHORSE
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
4,750
Location
Poconos/eastern PA
Doing a plan review. I have a gas station that wants to add an addition. Because the increase of occupants drinking fountains are now required and the water is not safe to drink. I don't know what to do now. Should I make them go to the appeal board?
 
Is the water officially not safe to drink, or does everybody in town just say it tastes funny? Can they install bottled water stations?
 
Mr. Inspector said:
Doing a plan review. I have a gas station that wants to add an addition. Because the increase of occupants drinking fountains are now required and the water is not safe to drink. I don't know what to do now. Should I make them go to the appeal board?
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Can't they substitute a bottled water dispenser in place of the drinking fountain?

Of course, then there's the problem of who gets to ensure that they keep buying bottled water -- or that they don't refill the bottle with the unsafe water ...
 
If the water isn’t safe enough to drink, it’s probably not safe to use in a bathroom either. What is the problem with the water?
 
No city water, only well water. All I know is the owner said the state health department said it is not safe to only drink and the code require drinking fountains. Building never had a C. O. so it will be a change of occupancy, an addition and alterations. The addition will be a large walking frig with doors on the inside for soda and beer like you see at most mini markets.
 
A word search on the term "composting" (as in composting toilets) will bring up a number of discussions regarding alternative compliance methods in lieu of the adopted plumbing code requirements for minimum plumbing facilities, particularly for rural areas, camps, etc.
 
Is it considered unsafe to drink only because the local health department doesn't check it for bacteria? In Virginia the Health Department used to check well water, but a couple decades ago they stopped doing it and you have to get a private testing lab to test it.
 
Yikes said:
A word search on the term "composting" (as in composting toilets) will bring up a number of discussions regarding alternative compliance methods in lieu of the adopted plumbing code requirements for minimum plumbing facilities, particularly for rural areas, camps, etc.
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Plan does not have this, they have a septic system.

Paul Sweet said:
Is it considered unsafe to drink only because the local health department doesn't check it for bacteria? In Virginia the Health Department used to check well water, but a couple decades ago they stopped doing it and you have to get a private testing lab to test it.
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I don't know. Why should I care?
 
Mr. Inspector said:
I don't know. Why should I care?
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I think the question is if it is unsafe to drink because we know something is wrong with it, or if it is unsafe because we haven't confirmed it is safe. In my mind, if they want an exemption, they need to demonstrate that the water is actually unsafe.
 
Mr. Inspector said:
I don't know. Why should I care?
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What an attitude. If the formal testing shows the water is safe to drink, then you can take a hard stand and insist on a DF. If the report shows unsafe, then you can work with the RDP and/or builder on an alternate acceptable solution.
 
Mr. Inspector said:
Plan does not have this, they have a septic system.
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My post #12 was not specifically about composting toilets. When you search on that term "compost" you'll find a lot of discussions not just about composting toilets, but addressing the larger issue of how to apply a plumbing code to a rural situation where there is no domestic potable water and/or no sewer. That has applicability to your original post.
 
Last edited:

602.1​

Structures equipped with plumbing fixtures and utilized for human occupancy or habitation shall be provided with a potable supply of water in the amounts and at the pressures specified in this chapter.
 
Bobbi_O said:
Why is the shower shown only the figure on the right? It is shorter?
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I have no idea. I just pulled some random photos off the internet. It was intended to be sardonic humor. Make them put in a water fountain because "code says so" but then require them to put a sign up that says, "don't drink".

Then to emphasize the stupidity of that, I thought why not put a sign up that says "it's not a water fountain, it's a shower."
1761592464665.png
 
There are several examples where an AHJ may require partial installation for a system.
  • Here in the LA area, many jurisdictions require that irrigation system be designed to accept municipal recycled water, even though there is no such system in place nor planned for the near future. (Typically it is purple colored PVC pipe to indicate it may be non-potable.)
  • California may require a building to install conduits and breaker space for future EV chargers, even if there is no plan to install a charger in the present.
I could see a scenario where the AHJ requires the plans to identify the future drinking fountain installation and require that area to be rough-plumbed and capped.
 
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