SECTION 554.322. Plumbing

(a) If the municipality has a plumbing code, that code must be used as a basis for determining the correctness of plumbing installation. In the absence of a municipal code, a nationally recognized plumbing code must be used.

(b) The water supply must be of safe, sanitary quality, suitable for use, and adequate in quantity and pressure. The water must be obtained from a water supply system, the location, construction, and operation of which are approved by TCEQ.

(c) Sewage must be discharged into a state-approved sewerage system or the sewage must be collected, treated, and disposed of in accordance with applicable TCEQ rules and regulations.

(d) The wastewater drainage and sewage system must assure that sanitation is maintained for residents. Wastewater or sewage must not be discharged on the surface of the ground. Traps must not be allowed to lose their seal. Appliances must have air gaps as required for connections to the sewerage system. Venting must assure a rapid flow of wastewater in the sewage system.

(e) The interior cold water supply system and piping must be so placed or so insulated as to prevent condensation drip in habitable areas and in storage areas.

(f) Backflow preventers or vacuum breakers must be installed with any water supply fixture where the outlet or attachments may be submerged.

(g) Resident-use hot water must be reliably controlled, such as by thermostatic or mixing valves, to not exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit and not less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit at each fixture.

(h) Hot water for other usages must be provided at the temperatures required for the appliance or fixture or for the operation involved, such as dishwashing and laundry.

(i) The supply quantity of hot water must be adequate for normal peak load usage. Facilities which continue to experience a shortage of hot water must remedy the situation by such means as adding storage tanks, adding or increasing the size of water heaters, or other approved means.

(j) Water heaters must be equipped with pressure temperature relief valves.

Source Note: The provisions of this §554.322 adopted to be effective July 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4408; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871; amended to be effective January 2, 2022, 46 TexReg 9037