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Whenever any drain connected with any public sewer or drain becomes obstructed, broken or out of order, or in such condition as to prevent the use of the sewer or drain, or unfit for the purpose of drainage, or where an old tile, cement or other drain pipe that does not conform to the provisions of this chapter is uncovered or exposed for any reason, it shall be entirely removed and replaced with extra-heavy soil pipe. No connections, alterations or repairs will be permitted to be made to old building drains of this character, and the owner, agent, occupant or person having charge of any building, yard, lot of land or other premises which are drained by said drain or sewer shall, when directed by the Inspector of Plumbing, remove, reconstruct, alter, clea...

[Amended 12-12-1973 ] "Minor repairs," as used in this section, shall mean repairs to leaks in drains, traps or cocks or opening waste or supply pipes. Minor repairs shall not include the doing of such work where connections to soil pipes, supply pipes, waste pipes or vent pipes are disturbed or inside leader pipes are used, nor shall it include the setting or replacing of fixtures. The performance of minor repairs as defined in this section shall not require a plumbing permit.

No connection through which it is designed to discharge offal, garbage, solid refuse or other matter which might clog or stop the pipes shall be made with the sewer system of the City or any of its branches, nor shall anyone discharge such matters into the sewer system.

Whenever, upon inspection, any building or part thereof is found unfit for human habitation by reason of defective plumbing or drainage system, the Board of Health may require such building or part thereof to be vacated and may cause to be posted in a conspicuous place therein a notice of unsanitary condition, and may order any person, firm or corporation using or maintaining any such condition or responsible for the use or maintenance thereof to discontinue the use or maintenance thereof or to repair, alter, change, remove or demolish same as the Board of Health may consider necessary for the proper protection of life, health or property.

The Board of Health has the power to stop the construction or use of drains, sewers and water mains not properly constructed or used or which are not in accordance with plans already approved. It may condemn and order the removal of any fixture or any plumbing and drainage that is defective when found to be dangerous to health.

Complaints as to defective plumbing or the performance of plumbing and drainage work by persons, firms, associations or corporations not authorized by this chapter shall be made to the Plumbing Inspector or the Examining Board of Plumbers in writing and shall be investigated by the Plumbing Inspector. The Inspector shall submit to the said Board by a written report of his inspection with his conclusions or recommendations which may be necessary to bring out conformity with this chapter.

The Board of Health shall have the power to order changes or improvements in the existing plumbing or drainage on any premises within a specified time when in its opinion the requirements of health demand such changes or improvements. Such order shall be issued to the owner, lessee or agent in writing, and the order shall state the time within which the work shall be completed ready for inspection.

All new plumbing work and such portions of existing systems as may be affected by new work or any changes shall be inspected to ensure compliance with all the requirements of this chapter and to assure that the installation and construction of the system is in accordance with approved plans.

It shall be the duty of the plumber to give advance notice to the proper administrative authority when plumbing work is ready for test and inspection.

It shall be the duty of the plumber to make sure that the work will stand the test prescribed before giving the above notification.

If the proper administrative authority finds that the work will not pass the test, the plumber shall be required to make the necessary corrections and the work shall then be resubmitted for test or inspection.

The equipment, material, power and labor necessary for inspections and test shall be furnished by the plumber.

All piping of the plumbing system shall be tested with water or air. After the plumbing fixtures have been set and their traps filled with water, the entire drainage system shall be submitted to a final test. The proper administrative authority may require the removal of any cleanouts to ascertain if the pressure has reached all parts of the system.

The water test shall be applied to the drainage system in its entirety or in sections. If applied to the entire system, all openings in the piping shall be tightly closed, except the highest opening, and the system filled with water to the point of overflow. If the system is tested in sections, each opening shall be tightly plugged, except the highest opening of the section under test, and each section shall be filled with water, but no section shall be tested with less than a ten-foot head of water. In testing successive sections, at least the upper 10 feet of the next preceding section shall be tested, so that no joint or pipe in the building (except the uppermost 10 feet of the system) shall have been submitted to a test of less than 10 feet head of wa...

The air tests shall be made by attaching an air compressor or testing apparatus to any suitable opening and, after closing all other outlets to the system, forcing air into the system until there is a uniform gauge pressure of five pounds per square inch or sufficient to balance a column of mercury 10 inches in height. This pressure shall be held without introduction of additional air for a period of at least 15 minutes.

A final test of the completed drainage and vent system shall be made. This may be either a smoke test or a peppermint test.

Upon completion of a section or of the entire water supply system, it shall be tested and proved tight under water pressure not less than the working pressure under which it is to be used. The water used for the tests shall be obtained from the normal source of supply.

Leaders or downspouts and branches within a building shall be tested as per § 221-330 of this article.

No plumbing system or part thereof shall be covered until it has been inspected, tested and approved as prescribed in this article.