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Water tower

Sifu

Sifu

SAWHORSE
Joined
Sep 3, 2011
Messages
3,388
Should a permit be required or accepted for a utility owned water tower? I can find no applicable code or reference other than this:

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"Public Service Agency" is a little grey, but I would think a municipal water supply would be considered one.
This is a stand-alone, 170', 1.5 million gallon structure, not a roof-top structure.
 
I'd say no (a building permit is not required) and leave it up to the Public Works Department and their inspectors. They should have their own permit, inspections, engineering oversight, and product/material specifications.
 
Sifu said:
Should a permit be required or accepted for a utility owned water tower?
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Yes and No. We have a water tower being constructed this summer. I will get permits for the foundation only. The tower itself and its design and construction are all on Public Works and the engineers they have contracted with.
 
I disagree, water tower are structures and not exempt from section 105.2 number 5. Section 105.2.2 commentary "do not require permits for work involving transmission lines and metering equipment" a storge tank is not metering or a transmission line.

Cell and radio towers require permits. My opinion is, while a water company may be a utility it is not the same as electrical poles.

Unless the state agency such as the Department of Public Utilities has a specific exemption water tank is an elevated structure that could fall down and hurt someone a building permit is required.
 
(Add) 105.2.3 Public service agencies. Pursuant to section 29-282 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a
permit shall not be required for the installation, alteration or repair of generation, transmission, distribution,
metering or other related equipment that is under the ownership and control of public service agencies by
established right.

That might get me there (exempt)....I would certainly look into it if someone asked....We do generators at their pump stations......

The cell towers typically are not owned by a utility/ PSA....
 
e hilton said:
Sifu … i think you need to go to the top and inspect something.
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NEVER! I watched an episode of Dirty Jobs that had Mike climb up one of these, I clinched the whole time. Not sure what to do here. If the municipality wanted a new building to house a pump, we would permit that. This doesn't seem the same to me. Navigating our PUC is next to impossible and all I found was this:

FACILITIES
5200. Construction, Installation, Maintenance, and Operation.
The plant, equipment, and facilities of a utility shall be constructed, installed, inspected, maintained, and operated in accordance with accepted engineering practice in the water and sewer industries to assure continuity of service, uniformity in the quality of service, and the safety of persons and property.
 
A water storage tank is absolutely integral to the distribution of the utility (water) service.

If there is a building housing equipment, that building is not integral and would therefore be permitted. The equipment inside may not require permit though.
 
classicT said:
A water storage tank is absolutely integral to the distribution of the utility (water) service.

If there is a building housing equipment, that building is not integral and would therefore be permitted. The equipment inside may not require permit though.
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That is the way I have always seen it.
 
Not sure where to ask this question; What if there is an existing water tank; built per specs of that year - Passing structural - now due to new codes it fails by 10%; The reason for failure is due to wind gust changed from 100 to 116.
 
SRConsult said:
Not sure where to ask this question; What if there is an existing water tank; built per specs of that year - Passing structural - now due to new codes it fails by 10%; The reason for failure is due to wind gust changed from 100 to 116.
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If it is approved it is approved.....Why are you looking at it under the new code?
 
The tank has some propsed new equipment - additional cellular equipment from an existing tenant. the new SA shows failing due to the new codes. So my question is / was which I left off on the thread is; do you blame the increase stress on the code or because of the equipment? Can existing structures use existing codes at that time? whats the rule? Site in Arkansas
 
SRConsult said:
The tank has some propsed new equipment - additional cellular equipment from an existing tenant. the new SA shows failing due to the new codes. So my question is / was which I left off on the thread is; do you blame the increase stress on the code or because of the equipment? Can existing structures use existing codes at that time? whats the rule? Site in Arkansas
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Start here:
[BS] 706.1 General

Where alteration work includes replacement of equipment that is supported by the building or where a reroofing permit is required, the provisions of this section shall apply.

[BS] 706.2 Addition or Replacement of Roofing or Replacement of Equipment​

Any existing gravity load-carrying structural element for which an alteration causes an increase in design dead, live or snow load, including snow drift effects, of more than 5 percent shall be replaced or altered as needed to carry the gravity loads required by the International Building Code for new structures.

And I am betting someone is doing something wrong.....
 
Nothing wrong.. just looking all options of who should be responsible to bring the structure up to the current code. And it's a contractual issue as well.
This is not a roof; it is a water tank. Not sure if that matters.
 
A water tower is a structure. It's covered by the IBC unless (as cited by steveray) there's a statute that takes it out of play. We require permits for free-standing pylon signs at automobile dealerships -- how can we not require a permit for something much higher, larger, and heavier?

[A] 101.2 Scope. The provisions of this code shall apply to the
construction, alteration, relocation, enlargement, replacement,
repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance,
removal and demolition of every building or structure or any
appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings or
structures.
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The IBC doesn't include a definition of "structure," so we have to look in a dictionary:

1: the action of building : construction

2a: something (such as a building) that is constructed
2b: something arranged in a definite pattern of organization

3: manner of construction : makeup

4a: the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body
soil structure

4b: organization of parts as dominated by the general character of the whole

4c: coherent form or organization

5: the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other
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Are we discussing the same thing? Water tower or water cylinder type tank?

I would say a permit is required for a tower water tank, however the exemption IBC 105.2 (5) leads me to believe that a tank under 5,000 gal is a cylinder type tank setting on a concrete pad foundation. Ratio of height to diameter or width is not greater than 2:1. Equipment below the tower would be subject to permitting and inspection.

A 1.5 gal water tower on stilts would IMO need to be permitted and inspected by a special inspector in that field.

Check with your Muni's insurance an see if your covered when you decide to trek the tower for your inspection.
Do you have fall protection gear?
Do you know what your looking at?
 
SCBO1 said:
A 1.5 gal water tower on stilts would IMO need to be permitted and inspected by a special inspector in that field.
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IBC 2021:

1704.2 Special inspections and tests. Where application is
made to the building official for construction as specified in
Section 105, the owner or the owner’s authorized agent, other
than the contractor, shall employ one or more approved agencies
to provide special inspections and tests during
construction on the types of work specified in Section 1705
and identify the approved agencies to the building official.
These special inspections and tests are in addition to the
inspections by the building official that are identified in
Section 110.
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The wind speed changed from fastest mile to maximum 3-second gust in the mid 1990s after Hurricane Andrew. It changed again to ultimate design windspeed around 2010. In most cases the conversion of speed, height, & exposure to PSF and the load duration factor results in a net wind load close to the older codes.
 
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