Note: Ord. 629, 12/10/2025 also repealed Ord. 605.
There is adopted and incorporated by reference herein as the City Plumbing Code for the purpose of prescribing regulations in the City of Santee for the construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair and use of all plumbing, gas or drainage piping and systems or water heating or treating equipment in or on any building or structure or outdoors on any premises or property, the 2025 California Plumbing Code, Part 5, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, a portion of the California Building Standards Code, as defined in the California Health and Safety Code, Section 18901 et seq. based on the Uniform Plumbing Code 2024 Edition. Except as otherwise provided by this Chapter and Chapter 11.02 of the City of Santee Municipal Code, all construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair and use of all plumbing, gas or drainage piping and systems or water heating or treating equipment within the City of Santee shall be in conformance with 2025 California Plumbing Code, published by the California Building Standards Commission.
(Ord. 629, 12/10/2025)
Deletions and additions to the 2025 California Plumbing Code, shall be as set forth in Sections 11.12.020 and 11.12.030.
A. 
Section 104.1.1 of the California Plumbing Code is added as follows to read:
Section 104.1.1 Solar Water Heaters Pre-Plumbing and Storage Tank Space Requirement.
1. 
Any other provisions on this Chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, no permit shall be issued by the administrative authority for a new residential building unless said building includes plumbing and adequate space for installation of a solar storage tank specifically designed to allow the later installation of a system which utilizes solar energy as the primary means of heating domestic potable water. No building permit shall be issued unless the plumbing required pursuant to this section is indicated in the building plans. Pre-plumbing and storage tank configuration shall be designed and installed to the satisfaction of the administrative authority. This Section shall apply only to those new residential buildings for which a building permit was applied for after the effective date of the ordinance amending this Section.
2. 
The administrative authority is hereby authorized to exempt those applications from the provisions of this Section which the administrative authority determines do not have feasible solar access due to shading, building orientation, construction constraints, or configuration of the subdivision parcel.
B. 
Section 104.1.2 of the California Plumbing Code is added as follows to read:
Section 104.1.2 Swimming Pool Heaters.
1. 
Any other provisions of this Chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, no permit shall be issued for a new or replacement fossil swimming pool heater unless a solar system with a collector area a minimum of fifty percent of the surface area of the swimming pool being heated is also installed as the primary heat source for the swimming pool.
2. 
A "fossil fuel swimming pool heater" is defined as one which uses nonrenewable fuel including but not limited to natural gas, propane, diesel and electricity.
3. 
As used in this Section a "swimming pool" means any confined body of water exceeding two feet in depth, greater than one hundred fifty square feet in surface area, and located either above or below the existing finished grade of the site, designed, used or intended to be used for swimming, bathing or therapeutic purposed.
EXCEPTION: A separate spa and a spa built in conjunction with a swimming pool may be heated by fossil fuels, provided the heating source cannot be used to heat the swimming pool.
4. 
Other provisions of this Section notwithstanding, the owner of a swimming pool may request of the administrative authority a waiver of all, or a portion, of the requirements contained in this section when topographic conditions, development, or existing trees on or surrounding the swimming pool or probable location of the solar collection system preclude effective use of the solar energy system due to shading; or the swimming pool is located in a permanent, enclosed structure.
5. 
An applicant dissatisfied with a decision of the administrative authority relating to modification or waiver under this section may appeal said decision to the City Council by filing a written appeal with the City Clerk within ten days of the issuance of the written decision. The decision of the City Council in the case of any such appeal shall be final.
(Ord. 629, 12/10/2025)