Ord 73-90 10/16/1990 1
ORDINANCE NO. 73-90
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING APPENDIX B, PLUMBING CODE, OF THE
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS;
ADOPTING THE STANDARD GAS CODE, 1988 EDITION, AS REVISED
IN 1989, WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS AND DELETIONS.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WICHITA
FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
SECTION 1. The publication entitled "Standard Gas Code" ,
1988 edition, as revised in 1989, a copy of which, authenticated
by the signature of the City Clerk, is on file in the City
Clerk' s office, is hereby adopted as the Wichita Falls Gas Code,
as fully as if copied at length herein.
SECTION 2. The following amendments and deletions made in
the "Standard Gas Code" as adopted herein:
( 1) There shall be added a Subsection 101. 1 . 2, which shall
read as follows:
"101. 1. 2 .
Whenever the words 'Gas Official' appear, such wording shall
be amended to read 'Plumbing Official' . "
( 2 ) There shall be added a Subsection 102.7, which shall
read as follows:
"102.7. Temporary Gas.
Temporary gas service may be given for construction purposes
only. No clearance for permanent gas shall be given to any
building or premises until a final inspection has been approved
by the plumbing inspector and a certificate of occupancy has been
issued by the building inspector. "
( 3 ) Section 105 is hereby amended in its entirety to read
as follows:
"105. Board of Adjustments and Appeals.
105 . 1 . Board Established; Composition.
The Plumbing and Mechanical Board of Adjustments and Appeals
has been established by Ordinance No. 15-89 and same is hereby
incorporated in this Code as follows:
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The Board shall consist of nine ( 9) members. Such Board
shall be composed of:
One ( 1) Master Plumber
One ( 1) Journeyman Plumber
Two ( 2) Air Conditioning Contractors
One ( 1) Mechanical Engineer
One ( 1) Mechanical Contractor
One ( 1) Lone Star Gas Company Representative
One ( 1) Representative from Home Building Industry
One ( 1) Member at large with no direct financial interest in
the construction industry
105. 2. Terms of Members.
Members shall serve two ( 2) year staggered terms. Terms
shall expire on December 31, but each member shall continue to
serve until his or her successor is appointed. No member shall
serve more than two ( 2) consecutive terms.
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105.3 . Election of Chairman and Co-Chairman; Duration.
The Board Chairman and Co-Chairman shall be separately
selected by a majority vote of the Board. The Chairman and Co-
Chairman shall serve in such capacity for the duration of their
appointed term.
105.4. Appeals.
The Board is authorized to reverse or modify a refusal,
order, or disallowance of the Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector,
or vary the application of any provision of the Plumbing Code or
Mechanical Code, when properly appealed by any aggrieved party.
Appeal to the Board shall be allowed upon the following
conditions:
1. Whenever the Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector shall
reject or refuse to approve the manner of installation proposed
to be followed or materials to be used,
2. Or, when it is claimed that the provisions of the Gas
Code, Plumbing Code or Mechanical Code do not apply,
3. Or, that an equally good or more desirable form of
construction can be employed in an specific case,
4. Or, when it is claimed that the true intent and meaning
of the Code or any of the regulations thereunder have been
misconstrued or wrongly interpreted.
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5. Notice of appeal shall be in writing upon forms provided
by the Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector and such appeal shall be
filed within thirty ( 30) days after the decision is rendered by
the Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector or his designee.
105. 5. Decisions of the Board.
105. 5.1. Variances.
A variance of the application of the Gas Code, Plumbing Code
or Mechanical Code may be granted by the Board when, in its
opinion, the enforcement thereof would do a manifest injustice,
and would be contrary to the spirit and purpose of the Gas Code,
Plumbing Code, Mechanical Code or public interest, or when in its
opinion, the interpretation of the Plumbing and Mechanical
Inspector should be modified or reversed.
105.5. 2. Decisions are Final.
A decision of the Board to vary the application of any
provision of the Gas Code, Mechanical Code or Plumbing Code or to
modify an order of the Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector shall
specify in what manner such variation or modification is made,
the conditions upon which it is made and reasons therefore.
Every decision of the Board shall be final, subject, however, to
such remedy as an aggrieved party might have at law or in equity.
It shall be in writing and shall indicate the vote upon decision.
105.5.3 . Recommendations.
In addition to acting on appeals, the Board shall, from time
to time, as may be necessary, submit recommendations to the City
Council for the adoption of new codes or ordinances.
105.6. Quorum.
Five ( 5) members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. In
varying any application of the provisions of the Gas Code,
Plumbing Code or the Mechanical Code, or in modifying an order of
the Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector, affirmative votes of the
majority present, but not less than five ( 5) affirmative votes,
shall be required.
105.7. Conflict of Interest.
A board member shall not act in any case in which he or she
has a personal interest.
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105.8. Absence of Board Members.
Continued absence of any member from regular meetings of the
Board shall, at the discretion of the City Council, render any
such member liable to immediate removal from office.
105. 9. Records.
The Plumbing and Mechanical Inspector or his designee shall
act as secretary of the Board and shall make a detailed record
for all Board proceedings, which shall set forth the reasons for
its decisions, the vote of each member, and any failure of a
member to vote. Such written record, so taken in form of Board
Minutes, shall be reviewed and approved by the Board at the next
regularly scheduled meeting. Such approved minutes, along with
any decisions of the Board, shall be submitted to the City
Council for acceptance.
105. 10. Procedure.
The Board shall establish rules and regulations for its own
procedure not inconsistent with the provisions of this Code. The
Board shall meet at regular intervals, to be determined by the
Chairman, or in any event, the Board shall meet within 10 days
after notice of appeal has been received. Every decision shall
be promptly filed in writing in the office of the Mechanical
Official and shall be open to public inspection. A certified
copy shall be sent by mail or otherwise to the appellant and a
copy shall be kept publicly posted in the office of the
Mechanical Official for two ( 2) weeks after filing.
105. 11. Decisions.
The Plumbing and Mechanical Board of Adjustments and Appeals
shall, in every case, reach a decision without unreasonable or
unnecessary delay. If a decision of the Plumbing and Mechanical
Board of Adjustments and Appeals reverses or modifies a refusal,
order, or disallowance of the Mechanical Official, or varies the
application of any provision of this Code, the Mechanical
Official shall immediately take action in accordance with the
decision. "
(4) Amend Section 106 to read as follows:
"106. Severability Clause.
If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause,
phrase, word or words of this Code is for any reason held to be
unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining portions of this Code. It is the intention of the
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City Council in enactin g this chapter that the provisions are
separable, and no provision hereof shall be inoperative or fail
by reason of the invalidity of any other provision. "
( 5) There shall be added Section 108, which shall read as
follows:
"108. Licensing and Bonding of Plumbers.
108. 1. License required.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or
corporation to engage in the practice of gas installation in
Wichita Falls without first securing from the State of Texas a
proper license issued by the State Board of Plumbing Examiners at
Austin, Texas, pursuant to The Plumbing License Law, Vernon' s
Ann. Civ. Stat. , Art. 6243-101, as it may be amended from time to
time.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or
corporation to represent themselves as a registered and licensed
plumber of any class set out in this code, or to use falsely the
words, plumbing contractor, journeyman plumber, or plumber, or
words of similar import or meaning on signs, cards, stationery,
or by other misleading manner whatsoever within the City of
Wichita Falls, unless said person, firm or corporation is, in
fact, registered and holds a valid license within the meaning of
the word used and as provided in this code.
(c) No person, firm or corporation shall be able to apply
or pay for any inspection fee, permit fee, or excavation fee
without presentation of the proper bond and a valid state master
plumber' s license."
( 6) There shall be added a Subsection 108.2, which shall
read as follows:
"108.2. Registration required.
Any person, company, firm, partnership or corporation
desiring to engage in the business of gas installation within the
corporate limits of the City of Wichita Falls, Texas, shall
register with the City of Wichita Falls, in the plumbing
inspector' s office, the correct name, address and telephone
number under which they will be doing business."
(7) There shall be added a Subsection 108.3 , which shall
read as follows:
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"108. 3 . Bond Requirements.
(a) All persons, firms or corporations, before engaging in
the gas installation business, shall execute and deliver to the
City of Wichita Falls a surety bond in the sum of Two Thousand
($2,000.00) Dollars, payable to the City of Wichita Falls and
executed by a company authorized to do business in the State of
Texas. All bonds shall meet the requirements stated herein.
(b) Bonds shall be conditioned that all gas work shall be
done so that it complies with all the provisions and requirements
of this ordinance and other ordinances of the City relating to
gas. The bonds shall be further conditioned that the City of
Wichita Falls will be fully indemnified against all loss and
damage resulting from or in any way growing out of any negligence
of the principal, their agents or employees. All bonds shall
contain the further provision that the principal will restore, or
cause to be restored, in the same manner as before any portion of
any street or alley that was in any way disturbed for the purpose
of making any connection with any water, sewer or gas pipe in the
City.
(c) The bond shall be for the use and benefit of the City
and any person having a cause of action arising out of the gas
work done, by reason of failure to comply with plumbing
regulations of the City by the principal. Once the plumbing
inspector has disapproved the work, the inspector shall notify
the principal of the changes necessary for compliance. Any
failure or refusal by the principal to rectify the work so as to
make it comply, then after three (3) days from the time notice
was given, it shall be the duty of the sureties on the bond to
make the required changes. In default of the principal or the
sureties on the bond performing the same, the owner or the City
for the owner' s benefit, may have recourse against the principal
and sureties on the bond.
(d) All bonds shall run the calendar year and be renewed on
January 1, and no gas work shall be done and no permits issued to
any contracting plumber unless they have a bond in force for the
ensuing year. "
(8) There shall be added a Subsection 108.4, which shall
read as follows:
"108.4. Enforcement, Legal Procedure and Penalties.
It shall be the duty of the Building & Code Administrator or
his designee to enforce this ordinance. Any person who violates,
disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who
resists the enforcement of any of the provision of this ordinance
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine not
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less than Fifty ( $50.00) Dollars nor to exceed Five Hundred
($500.00) Dollars. The imposition of one penalty for an
violation shall not excuse the violation nor permit it to
continue, and each day that the violation is maintained shall
constitute a separate offense. The application of such penalty
shall not be held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited
conditions. "
(9) There shall be added Subsection 108. 5, which shall read
as follows:
"108. 5. Homeowner.
A plumbing permit may be issued to a homeowner to do gas
work provided that the person applying for the permit resides at
the address to which the permit is issued and he is solely
responsible for the completion of that work. "
( 10) There shall be added a Section 109, which shall read
as follows:
"109. Lettering of Equipment.
No person, firm, or corporation shall operate plumbing
trucks of any kind in the City of Wichita Falls without the
person' s or firm' s name painted in a prominent place on such
equipment. "
(11) Subsection 306.4.2 is amended to read as follows:
"306.4.2. Plastics.
Plastic pipe, tubing and fittings shall be joined by heat
fusion method, or by means of compression couplings or flanges.
The joining method used shall be compatible with the materials
being joined. The recommendations of the manufacture shall also
be taken into consideration when determining which method is to
be used. The following shall be observed when making such
joints:
1. Plastic pipe or tubing shall not be threaded.
2. Heat-fusion joints shall be made in accordance with
qualified procedures which have been established and proven by
test to produce gas-tight joints at least as strong as the pipe
or tubing being joined.
3 . Heat-fusion joints shall not be made between different
kinds of plastic.
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4. Heat-fusion or mechanical joints shall be used when
joining polyethylene (PE) pipe, tubing or fittings. Joints made
with compression couplings shall be assembled in accordance with
compression coupling manufacturer' s recommendation. Only
compression couplings designed for use with plastic pipe in
natural gas service shall be used.
5. Flanges or special joints may be used providing they
are properly qualified by the manufacturer and utilized in
accordance with manufacturer' s recommendations. Polyethylene
(PE) pipe and tubing shall not be flared. Polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) pipe and tubing shall not be flared unless recommended by
manufacturer and only where flared joints are underground.
6. When compression type mechanical joints are used, the
gasket material in the fitting shall be compatible with the
plastic piping and with the gas distributed by the gas company.
An internal tubular rigid stiffener shall be used in conjunction
with the fitting and the stiffener shall be flush with end of the
pipe or tubing and extend at least to the outside end of the
compression fitting when installed. The stiffener shall be free
of rough or sharp edges and shall not be a force fit in the
plastic. A split tubular stiffener shall not be used.
7. The joint shall be designed and installed to
effectively sustain the longitudinal pull-out forces caused by
contraction of the piping or by external loading. "
( 12) Subsection 309. 12. 1 is deleted.
( 13 ) There shall be added Section 316, which shall read as
follows:
"316. Materials.
(a) Above Ground - Materials for gas distribution pipes,
nipples & fittings shall meet Standard Specifications ASTM A-120.
1. Black steel Schedule 40 pipe and black Schedule 40
nipples.
2. Black malleable 125 PSI screwed fittings
3 . Outside gas stops will be black iron body brass
core.
(b) Under Ground - Materials.
1. Polyethylene pipe with approved risers and
connectors. Plastic pipe and fittings shall
conform to ASTM D2513 C.D. SDR11.
2. Black steel pipe shall be protected against soil
corrosion with approved type coating. Coating
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shall extend six ( 6) inches above finished grade.
Couplings shall be long recessed type. "
(14 ) Subsection 403 . 1. 2 is amended to read as follows:
"403 . 1. 2.
All gas appliances shall have accessible gas shutoff A.G.A.
approved brass lever handle ball valves located no farther than
six ( 6) feet from the appliance, installed upstream from the
union or connector they serve and in the same room as the
appliance. "
(15) Subsection 504. 2.2 is amended to read as follows:
"504.2. 2.
All water heaters installed in attics shall rest in pans of
minimum 0.0276-inch ( 24 ga) galvanized sheet steel or approved
plastic pan, with a minimum depth of 1-1/2 inches and of a
sufficient size to receive all drippings or condensation from
such water heaters. All drain pans shall have a minimum 1-inch
drain. "
( 16) Subsection 507. 11 is deleted.
( 17) Subsection 511.8 is deleted.
( 18) Chapter 10 is deleted.
( 19) Appendix E is adopted. /
PASSED AND APPROVED this the �� day of A 76-44i✓
1990.
dicop- 41111P
A O
ATTEST:
—ALut)il ' I 1,
City Clerk
Affidavit of Publication
THE STATE OF TEXAS
ORDINANCE NO.72-90
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING COUNTY OF WICHITA
APPENDIX B,NUMBING CODE,
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE
(p OF THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS;Jere)
ADOPTING THE STANDARD ,r,
EDITION,AS REIVSED IN 1989, On this ',-,-1 day of
WITH CERTAIN AMENDENTS
AND DELETIONS.
ORDINANCE NO.73-90 .( 3 c r)
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING A.D. personally appeared before me, the undersigned authority
APPENDIX B,PLUMBING CODE,
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES T er bookkee
OF ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF p
WICHITA FALLS, THE
STANDARD GAS ODE,ADOPTING 988 for the Times Publishing Company of Wichita Falls, publishers of the Wichita Falls
EDITION,AS REVISED IN 1989,
WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS.' Times/Record News, a newspaper published at Wichita Falls in Wichita County,
AND DEUTIONS.
ORDINANCE NO.74-90 Texas, and upon being duly sworn by me, on oath states that the attached
ORDINANCE WAIVING APPEN-
DIX A, SUBDIVISIONS SECTION
9(B) (2) (a)OF THE CODE OF advertisement is a true and correct copy of advertising published
ORDINANCES WITH RESPECT TO
PLACING CURB AND GUTTER in ' ' r.i..) issues thereof on the following dates:
ON THE OLD IOWA PARK ROAD,
LOT 2, TRANSCHEMICAL SUB-
DIVISION.
RECEIVED it ' -
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE ' "
Date
—,� & it _ i % . �_ C i ,.
�p sue' Bookkeeper for Times Publishing Company
t�7='ti:A 1I1 � r
. ,.;Y of Wichita Falls
(SE Q 1,4°` ( Subscribed and sworn to before me this the day and year first above written.