Prior ordinance history: Ord. No. 1945CCS § 8, adopted 6/8/99.
That certain document entitled "California Plumbing Code, 2025 Edition," which adopts by reference the Uniform Plumbing Code, 2024 Edition, as published by the California Building Standards Commission and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (excluding Chapter 1, Division I), including Chapter 1, Division II, Appendices A, B, D, I, M, N, are hereby adopted with the local amendments and provisions of this Chapter, as the Plumbing Code of the City of Santa Monica.
(Added by Ord. No. 2054CCS § 8, adopted 10/8/02; amended by Ord. No. 2244CCS § 8, adopted 11/27/07; Ord. No. 2328CCS § 16, adopted 11/9/10; Ord. No. 2445CCS § 28, adopted 11/12/13; Ord. No. 2527CCS § 8, adopted 11/22/16; Ord. No. 2623CCS § 10, adopted 10/22/19; Ord. No. 2727CCS § 10, adopted 10/25/22; Ord. No. 2831CCS, 10/14/2025)
Notwithstanding any provisions of the California Plumbing Code, California Building Standards Code, or other codes adopted by any Chapter in Article 8 of the Municipal Code to the contrary, the following local amendments shall apply.
(Added by Ord. No. 2054CCS § 8, adopted 10/8/02; amended by Ord. No. 2244CCS § 8, adopted 11/27/07; Ord. No. 2328CCS § 17, adopted 11/9/10; Ord. No. 2527CCS § 8, adopted 11/22/16; Ord. No. 2623CCS § 10, adopted 10/22/19; Ord. No. 2727CCS § 10, adopted 10/25/22; Ord. No. 2831CCS, 10/14/2025)
Water softener systems using dry wells for the discharge of effluents are prohibited, except for systems with regeneration cycles discharging quantities of total dissolved solids that do not exceed those stipulated in the water quality objectives set by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
(Added by Ord. No. 2054CCS § 8, adopted 10/8/02; amended by Ord. No. 2244CCS § 8, adopted 11/27/07; Ord. No. 2527CCS § 8, adopted 11/22/16; Ord. No. 2623CCS § 10, adopted 10/22/19; Ord. No. 2727CCS § 10, adopted 10/25/22; Ord. No. 2831CCS, 10/14/2025)
(a) 
Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to reduce the risks of fires caused by leaks in fuel gas piping caused from earthquakes by use of earthquake-actuated automatic gas shutoff systems.
(b) 
Scope. The provisions of this section shall apply to:
(1) 
Any new building, structure or mobilehome park with fuel gas piping, for which an application for permit for construction was first submitted on or after January 1, 2008.
(2) 
Any existing building or structure or mobilehome park with fuel gas piping for which an application for alteration or addition is submitted on or after January 1, 2008, when such alteration or addition is valued at more than ten thousand dollars.
(3) 
Any existing building or structure or mobilehome park with fuel gas piping on or after January 1, 2008 for which an agreement for sale or exchange was first entered into.
(4) 
Any replacement in part or whole of an existing fuel gas service from utility owned meter to the point of entry into the building or structure.
(c) 
Definitions. For the purpose of this Section, certain terms, phrases, words and their derivatives shall be construed as specified in this Section. Where terms are not defined, they shall have their ordinarily accepted meanings within the context with which they are used.
"Agreement of sale or exchange"
means any agreement or written instrument which provides that title to any property shall thereafter be transferred from one owner to another owner.
"Application for permit"
means a written document submitted to the City in order to obtain a permit to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, convert or remove a portion of any building, structure or building service equipment including but not limited to combination building permits and single trade permits.
"Customer-owned gas piping"
means all parts of the gas piping system downstream of the gas utility point of delivery, including, but not limited to, downstream of the gas utility meter and service tee (also known as a bypass tee).
"Seismic gas shutoff device"
means a seismic gas shutoff device installed on customer-owned gas piping certified by the State Architect pursuant to Section 19202 of the Health and Safety Code. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, "seismic gas shutoff device" does not include any device installed on a gas distribution system owned or operated by a public utility.
(d) 
Duty to Install and Maintain Device. The owner of any building, structure or mobilehome park subject to the provisions of this Section shall obtain a permit, install and maintain a seismic gas shutoff device on the customer owned gas piping when one of the triggering events specified in subsection (b) of this Section occurs.
(1) 
For agreement of sale or exchange or qualifying alterations or additions to individual condominium units, the owner of the individual condominium shall obtain a permit, install and maintain a seismic gas shutoff device on the portion of the customer owned gas piping that serves the individual condominium unit if such a device does not exist on the customer owned gas piping that serves the entire building.
(2) 
Seismic gas shutoff devices installed prior to January 1, 2008 on either customer owned gas piping or on a gas distribution system owned or operated by a public utility are deemed to comply with the requirements of this Section provided they remain installed and maintained according to the terms of their original approval.
(e) 
Unreasonable Hardship. The Building Official may grant exceptions to the provisions of this Section when legal, physical or economic constraints will not allow compliance without creating an unreasonable hardship. Unreasonable economic hardship shall be deemed to exist when the Building Official determines that the fair market value of the cost of installation of the seismic gas shutoff device exceeds twenty percent of the valuation of other alterations being proposed.
(f) 
Effect on Sale and Exchange of Property. No sale or exchange of property shall be invalidated solely because of the failure of any person to comply with any provision of this Section unless such failure is an act or omission which would be a valid ground for rescission of such sale or exchange in the absence of this Section.
(g) 
Incentives. All such applications shall receive priority service as defined in Santa Monica Municipal Code Chapter 1.20.
(Added by Ord. No. 2245CCS § 1, adopted 11/27/07; amended by Ord. No. 2445CCS § 32, adopted 11/12/13; Ord. No. 2527CCS § 8, adopted 11/22/16; Ord. No. 2623CCS § 10, adopted 10/22/19; Ord. No. 2727CCS § 10, adopted 10/25/22; Ord. No. 2831CCS, 10/14/2025)