Valve Regulations - Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES REGION ORDINANCE NO. 171874

An ordinance amending section 94.1219 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code relating to the installation of seismic gas shutoff valves in new construction and existing buildings.

THE PEOPLE OF LOS ANGELES

TO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Section 94.1219 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:

SEC. 94.1219.D. Seismic Gas Shutoff Valves

SEC. 94.1219.1.Definitions. For purposes of this section, certain terms shall be defined as follows:

Downstream of the Gas Utility Meter shall refer to all customer owned gas piping.

Residential building shall mean any single family dwelling, duplex, apartment building, condominium, townhouse, lodging house congregate residence, hotel, or motel.

Seismic Gas Shutoff Valve shall mean a system consisting of a seismic sensing means and actuating means designed to automatically actuate a companion gas shutoff means installed in a gas piping system in order to shut off the gas downstream of the location of the gas shutoff means in the event of a severe seismic disturbance, The system may consist of separable components or may incorporate all functions in a single body. The terms "Seismically Activated Gas Shutoff Valve" and "Earthquake Sensitive Gas Shutoff Valves" are synonymous.

Upstream of the Gas Utility Meter shall refer to all gas piping installed by the utility up to and including the meter and the utility's bypass tee at the connection to the customer owned piping.

SEC. 94.1219.2. Scope An approved seismic has shutoff valve shall be installed downstream of the gas utility meter on each fuel gas line where the line serves the following buildings or structures:

SEC. 94.1219.2.1. A building or structure containing fuel gas piping for which a building permit was first issued on or after September 1, 1995.

SEC. 94.1219.2.2. An existing building or structure which is altered or added to; and

SEC. 94.1219.2.2.1. That building or structure has fuel gas piping supplying the existing building or structure or the addition to the building or structure; and

SEC. 94.1219.2.2.2. The alteration or addition is valued at more than $10,000 and a building permit for the work in commercial buildings was first issued on or after September 1, 1995. Alterations to the individual units or tenant spaces shall require seismic gas shutoff valves to be installed for all gas piping serving that commercial building.

SEC. 94.1219.2.2.3. The alteration or addition is valued at more than $10,000 and the building permit for the work in residential buildings including condominium units, is first issued on or after January 10, 1998. Alterations or additions to an individual unit shall require seismic gas shutoff valves to be installed for all gas piping serving that building.

SEC. 94.1219.2.3. Building or structures which contain fuel gas piping, that are sold shall have seismic gas shutoff valves installed within 12 months of sale. The sale of an individual condominium unit in a building shall require the installation of seismic gas shutoff valves for all gas piping serving that building if the building has a single gas line. If the building in which the condominium unit is located has multiple gas lines then the valve only required on the line serving the condominium unit and any other condominium unit in the same building.

EXCEPTIONS:

(1) Seismic gas shutoff valves may be installed upstream of a gas utility meter provided they meet the requirements of this section.

(2) Seismic gas shutoff valves installed on a building or structure prior to September 1, 1995, are exempt from the requirements of this section provided they remain installed on the building or structure and ar maintained for the life of the building or structure.

(3) Notwithstanding Subsections 94.1219.2.1, 94.1219.2.2 AND 94.1219.2.3 above, these provisions shall not apply to a building or structure if the Department determines that the building or structure satisfies all three of the following criteria:

(a) That the building or structure is owned, operated, and maintained by governmental entity or public utility; or that the building or structure is owned by a private concern and provides a public benefit, such as a co-generation facility which shares its excess power with a public utility or with large industrial facility which has governmental contracts;

(c) That the gas piping system contained in the building or structure is designed to withstand seismic effects of earthquakes.

(4) A single seismic gas shutoff valve may be upstream of the gas utility meter at the discretion of the gas utility.

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