WAC 51-56-0400   Chapter 4 -- Plumbing fixtures and fixture fittings.  


402.0 Water-Conserving Fixtures and Fittings.


402.1 The purpose of this section shall be to implement water conservation performance standards in accordance with RCW 19.27.170.


402.2 Application. This section shall apply to all new construction and all remodeling involving replacement of plumbing fixtures and fittings in all residential, hotel, motel, school, industrial, commercial use, or other occupancies determined by the council to use significant quantities of water. Plumbing fixtures, fittings and appurtenances shall conform to the standards specified in this section and shall be provided with an adequate supply of potable water to flush and keep the fixtures in a clean and sanitary condition without danger of backflow or cross-connection.


402.3 Water Efficiency Standards.


402.3.1 Standards for Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures.


402.3.1.1 The following standards shall be adopted as plumbing materials, performance standards, and labeling standards for water closets and urinals. Water closets and urinals shall meet either the ANSI/ASME standards or the CSA standard.


ANSI/ASME A112.19.2M-1998 Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures
ANSI/ASME A112.19.6-1995 Hydraulic Requirements for Water Closets and Urinals
CSA B45 CSA Standards on Plumbing Fixtures

402.3.1.2 The maximum water use allowed in gallons per flush (gpf) or liters per flush (lpf) for any of the following water closets shall be the following:


Tank-type toilets 1.6 gpf/6.0 lpf
Flushometer-valve toilets 1.6 gpf/6.0 lpf
Flushometer-tank toilets 1.6 gpf/6.0 lpf
Electromechanical hydraulic toilets 1.6 gpf/6.0 lpf

EXCEPTIONS: 1. Water closets located in day care centers, intended for use by young children may have a maximum water use of 3.5 gallons per flush or 13.25 liters per flush.
2. Water closets with bed pan washers may have a maximum water use of 3.5 gallons per flush or 13.25 liters per flush.
3. Blow out bowls, as defined in ANSI/ASME A112.19.2M, Section 5.1.2.3 may have a maximum water use of 3.5 gallons per flush or 13.25 liters per flush.

402.3.1.3 The maximum water use allowed for any urinal shall be 1.0 gallons per flush or 3.78 liters per flush.


402.3.1.3.1 Nonwater Urinals. Nonwater urinals shall be listed and comply with the applicable standards referenced in Table 14-1. Nonwater urinals shall have a barrier liquid sealant to maintain a trap seal. Nonwater urinals shall permit the uninhibited flow of waste through the urinal to the sanitary drainage system. Nonwater urinals shall be cleaned and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions after installation. Where nonwater urinals are installed, they shall have a water distribution line rough-in to the urinal location to allow for the installation of an approved backflow prevention device in the event of a retrofit.


402.3.1.4 No urinal or water closet that operates on a continuous flow or continuous flush basis shall be permitted.


402.3.1.5 This section does not apply to fixtures installed before the effective date of this Section, that are removed and relocated to another room or area of the same building after the effective date of this Section.


402.3.2 Standards for Plumbing Fixture Fittings.


402.3.2.1 The following standards are adopted as plumbing material, performance requirements, and labeling standards for plumbing fixture fittings. Faucets, aerators, and shower heads shall meet either the ANSI/ASME standard or the CSA standard.


ANSI/ASME A112.18.1M-1996 Plumbing Fixture Fittings
CSA B125 Plumbing Fittings

402.3.2.2 The maximum water use allowed for any shower head is 2.5 gallons per minute or 9.5 liters per minute.


EXCEPTION: Emergency use showers shall be exempt from the maximum water usage rates.

402.3.2.3 The maximum water use allowed in gallons per minute (gpm) or liters per minute (lpm) for any of the following faucets and replacement aerators is the following:


Lavatory faucets 2.5 gpm/9.5 lpm
Kitchen faucets 2.5 gpm/9.5 lpm
Replacement aerators 2.5 gpm/9.5 lpm
Public lavatory faucets other than metering 0.5 gpm/1.9 lpm

402.4 Metering Valves. Lavatory faucets located in restrooms intended for use by the general public shall be equipped with a metering valve designed to close by spring or water pressure when left unattended (self-closing).


EXCEPTIONS: 1. Where designed and installed for use by persons with a disability.
2. Where installed in day care centers, for use primarily by children under 6 years of age.

402.5 Implementation.


402.5.1 The standards for water efficiency and labeling contained within Section 402.3 shall be in effect as of July 1, 1993, as provided in RCW 19.27.170 and amended July 1, 1998.


402.5.2 No individual, public or private corporation, firm, political subdivision, government agency, or other legal entity, may, for purposes of use in the state of Washington, distribute, sell, offer for sale, import, install, or approve for installation any plumbing fixtures or fittings unless the fixtures or fittings meet the standards as provided for in this Section.


407.5 Setting. Fixtures shall be set level and in proper alignment with reference to adjacent walls. No water closet or bidet shall be set closer than fifteen (15) inches (381 mm) from its center to any side wall or obstruction nor closer than thirty (30) inches (762 mm) center to center to any similar fixture. The clear space in front of any water closet or bidet shall be not less than twenty-one (21) inches (533 mm). No urinal shall be set closer than twelve (12) inches (305 mm) from its center to any side wall or partition nor closer than twenty-four (24) inches (610 mm) center to center.


EXCEPTION: The installation of paper dispensers or accessibility grab bars shall not be considered obstructions.

411.2 Location of Floor Drains. Floor drains shall be installed in the following areas:


411.2.1 Toilet rooms containing two (2) or more water closets or a combination of one (1) water closet and one (1) urinal, except in a dwelling unit. The floor shall slope toward the floor drains.


411.2.2 Laundry rooms in commercial buildings and common laundry facilities in multifamily dwelling buildings.


411.7 Shower compartments, regardless of shape, shall have a minimum finished interior of nine hundred (900) square inches (0.58 m2) and shall also be capable of encompassing a thirty inch (762 mm) circle. The minimum required area and dimensions shall be measured at a height equal to the top of the threshold and at a point tangent to its centerline. The area and dimensions shall be maintained to a point of not less than seventy (70) inches (1.778 mm) above the shower drain outlet with no protrusions other than the fixture valve or valves, shower head, soap dishes, shelves, and safety grab bars or rails. Fold-down seats in accessible shower stalls shall be permitted to protrude into the thirty (30) inch (762 mm) circle.


EXCEPTIONS: 1. Showers that are designed to comply with ICC/ANSI A117.1.
2. The minimum required area and dimension shall not apply for a shower receptor having overall dimensions of not less than thirty (30) inches (762 mm) in width and sixty (60) inches (1,524 mm) in length.

412.0 Minimum Number of Required Fixtures. For minimum number of plumbing fixtures required, see Building Code chapter 29 and Table 2902.1.


Sections 412.1 through 412.6 and Table 4-1 are not adopted.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.074, 19.27.031 and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. 10-03-101, § 51-56-0400, filed 1/20/10, effective 7/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.190, 19.27.020 and chapters 19.27 and 34.05 RCW. 07-01-094, § 51-56-0400, filed 12/19/06, effective 7/1/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 19.27.031 and 19.27.074. 04-01-110, § 51-56-0400, filed 12/17/03, effective 7/1/04; 02-01-114, § 51-56-0400, filed 12/18/01, effective 7/1/02.]