California
Mechanical Code | California
Plumbing Code
ORDINANCE
NO:
AN
ORDINANCE ADDING SECTIONS 15.20.O8O TO Article
II OF CHAPTER15.20 OF TITLE 15 OF
THE ALAMEDA COUNTY GENERAL ORDINANCECODE
REGULATING NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THEUNINCORPORATED
AREA OF THE COUNTY FOR the PURPOSE OFINSTALLING
EXCESS FLOW GAS SHUT-OFF DEVICES
The
Board of Supervisors or the County of Alameda
ordains as follows:
SECTION
1
Pursuant
to California Health and Safety Code Sections
17958.5 and 17958.7 the Board of Supervisors
of Alameda County hereby finds that it is reasonably
necessary to modify the requirements of the
California Building Standards Code due to local
climatic, geographical, or topographical conditions.
It is generally accepted that Alameda County
will experience moderate and severe earthquakes
in the foreseeable future. These earthquakes
will pose a serious threat to life and property.
In order to mitigate the potential hazard of
fire resulting from gas piping damaged by seismic
movement, the instal1ation of Excess Flow Devices
(non-motion sensitive) shall be required in
all new construction and in certain remodeling
in accordance with Alameda County ordinance.
The full text of the express legislative findings
of the County of Alameda in support of requiring
the installation of Excess Flow Devices is
on file and available for review in the office
of the Building Official for the County of
Alameda and with the California Building Standards
Commission.
Based
on the foregoing, the Board of Supervisors
of the County of Alameda hereby ordain that
Article II of Chapter 15.20, Title 15 of the
General Ordinance Code of the County of Alameda
shall be amended by adding Section 15.20.080
as Follows:
CHAPTER
15.20
EXCESS
FLOW GAS SHUT-OFF DEVICES
Section
15.20.080 §1312.13 - Excess Flow Gas Shut-Off
Device Required
Section
1312.13 of the 1998 California Mechanical Code
shall be amended to read as follows:
Section
1312.13 Valves
Valves
used in connection with gas piping shall be
approved types and shall be accessible. The
installation of Excess Flow Gas Shut-Off Valves
(non-motion sensitive) shall be required in
all new construction and in certain remodeling.
Section
1312.13.1 Definitions:
a) "Downstream.
of the gas utility" shall refer to all
customer owned piping.
b) "Excessive
Flow Gas Shut-Off Device" shall mean'
those valves or devices that are not actuated
by motion, but are activated by the rupture
of pipes inside a structure thereby
increasing fuel demand and causing a pressure
surge.
i)
The design of these devices shall include a
proven method to automatically provide for
expedient and safe gas shutoff in an emergency.
ii)
The design of the device shall provide a capability
for ease of consumer or owner resetting.
iii)
The operational and functional design of the
device shall be certified by one of the following:
the Independent Laboratory or the International
Approval Services (lAS), Underwriter's Laboratory
(UL), International Association of Plumbing
and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), American
Gas Association or any other recognized listing
and testing agency.
c) "Gas
shut-off Device" "shall refer to
an Excess Flow Gas Shutoff Device.
d) "Major
remodeling" shall mean any re-modeling.
alteration or addition to a structure that:
i)
involves fuel gas piping in the alteration
and exceeds $5,000.00 in valuation or
ii)
does not involve fuel gas piping and exceeds
$50.000.00 in valuation.
e) "Residential
building" shall mean any single-family
dwelling duplexes, apartment building, condominium,
townhouse, lodging house, congregate residence,
hotel or motel.
f) "Upstream
of Gas Utility' Meter" shall refer
to all gas piping installed by the utility
up to and including the meter and the utility's
bypass toe at the connection to the customer's
own piping.
Section
1312.13.2 Scope:
An
approved Excess Flow Gas Shutoff Device (non
motion-sensitive) shall be installed downstream
of the gas utility meter on each fuel gas line
where the gas line serves the following building
or structures:
a) Any
building or structure (commercial, industrial,
or residential) containing fuel gas piping
for which a building permit is first issued
on or after sixty (60) days from the passage
of the ordinance; or
b) Any
existing residential, commercial or
industrial building or structure which is altered
or added to; and
c) Such
a building or structure 'lets fuel gas piping
supplying the existing building or structure
or the addition to the building or structure
and
(1) In
the event fuel gas piping is involved in the
alteration or addition, the value of such alteration/addition
is more than $5,000;
(2) In
the event fuel gas piping is not involved in
the alteration or addition, the value of such
alteration/addition is more than $50,000.00
and a building permit for the work is first
issued on or after sixty days from the effective
date of this section.
d) With
respect to residential building, alterations
or additions to an individual condominium or
apartment unit shall not require a Gas shut-off
Device to be installed for all gas piping serving
that building.
e) With
respect to commercial or industrial building alterations
or additions to individual units or tenant
spaces shall require a Gas Shutoff device to
be installed for all gas piping serving that
commercial or industrial building.
Section
1312.13.3 Exception:
a) A
Gas Shut-Off Device is not required to be installed
downstream of the gas utility meter where:
i) A
Gas Shut-Off Device has been installed by the
gas utility or a contractor authorized by the
gas utility, and
ii) Such,
installation is upstream of the gas utility
meter and downstream of the gas utility meter
service regulator, and
iii) Such
installation is in accordance with this section
and with the manufacturer's specifications.
b) Gas
Shut-Off Devices installed on a building or
structure prior to sixty days from the effective
date of this section are exempt from the requirements
of this section provided they remain installed
on the building or structure and are maintained
for the life of the building of structure.
c) Gas
Shut-Off Devices installed on a gas distribution
system owned or operated by a public utility
shall not be subject to the requirements of
this section.
d) A
Gas Shut-Off valve shall not be required
where the gas piping system contained in the
building or structure is designed to withstand
seismic effects or earthquakes.
A Gas-Shut-Off
valve shall not be required for mechanical
or process equipment used in manufacturing.
Section
1312.13.4 General Requirements:
Gas
Shut-Off Devices installed shall comply with
the following requirements:
a) Be
installed by a contractor licensed in the appropriate
classification by the State of California and
in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
b) Be
listed by an approved listing and testing agency
such as IAS, IAMPO, UL, AGA or the office
of the State Architect.
c) have
a thirty (30) year warranty, which warrants
that the valve or device is free from defects,
and will continue to properly operate for thirty
(30) years from the date of installation.
c) Where
Gas-Shut-Off Devices are installed as required
by this Section, they shall be maintained for
the life of the building or structure or be
replaced with a valve or device complying with
the requirements of this section
Section
1312.13.5 List of Approved Valves
and Devices:
The
Building Inspection Department of the County
of Alameda shall maintain a list of all Excess
Flow Gas Shut-Off devices (non-motion sensitive),
which are approved (by a nationally recognized
testing and listing agency) for installation
in the State of California.
Section
1312.13.6 Approval of Devices:
As
testing and other data become available, the
Building Official may approve or reject any
type of device proposed for installation in
a specific project.
SECTION
II
This
ordinance shall take effect and be in force
the later of the following: a) the filing with
the California Building Standards Commission
by the County of Alameda Of its express findings
of local conditions necessitating the adoption
of the within ordinance or b) thirty (30) days
from and after the date of passage and before
the expiration of fifteen (15) days alter its
passage it shall be published once with the
names of the members voting for and against
the same in the Inter-City Express, a newspaper
published in the County of Alameda.
Adopted
by the board of Supervisors of the County of
AIameda, State of California, on the day of
May 2001, by the following called Vote:
AYES
NOES
EXCUSED
Approved
as to form:
RICHARD
IS. WINNIE
County
Counsel
By:
Deputy
County Counsel
