Health Department, District of Columbia, 
REGULATIONS 
GOVERNING 
Plumbing, House Drainage, 
AND THE 
Ventilation of House Sewers, 
IN THE 
District of Columbia, 
WASHINGTON, D. C. : 
Judd & Detweiler, Printers. 
i883. Health Department, District of Columbia. 
REGULATIONS 
GOVERNING 
Plumbing, House Drainage, 
AND THE 
Ventilation of House Sewers, 
IN THE 
District of Columbia. 
WASHINGTON, D. C. : 
Judd & Detweiler, Printers. 
i883- REGULATIONS. 
[Act authorizing the employment of an Inspector of Plumb- 
ing in and for the District of Columbia, and for other 
purposes.] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- 
resentatives of the United States of America in 
Congress assembled, That there shall be ap- 
pointed by the Commissioners of the District 
of Columbia an Inspector of Plumbing for said 
District, whose duty it shall be to inspect all 
houses in course of erection, and pass upon the 
plumbing and sewerage of said houses. And 
the Health Officer of the District of Columbia is 
hereby authorized, under direction of the Commis- 
sioners, to execide and enforce regulations govern- 
ing plumbing, house drainage, and the ventilation 
of house sewers; and any person who shall neg- 
lect or refuse to comply with the requirements 
of the said regulations when promulgated shall 
be punishable by a fine of from twenty-five to 
two hundred dollars for each and every such 
offense, or in default of payment of fine to im- 
prisonment for thirty days. 
Approved January 25, 1881. 
In accordance with the foregoing act of Con- 
gress, and in pursuance of authority thereby 
conferred, the following amended regulations 
are made and promulgated for the information 
and guidance of all concerned : 
Authorizing ap- 
pointment of In- 
spector, and execu- 
tion and enforce- 
ment of regula- 
tions. 4 
Regulations to 
take effect. 
Sec. 1. These regulations governing plumb- 
ing, house drainage, and the ventilation of 
house sewers, shall take effect and be in force 
in the District of Columbia from and after 
December 1,1882, and all work of the character 
named, thereafter placed in or about any struc- 
ture in the said District shall be done in ac- 
cordance with the provisions of the same. 
Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the Inspector 
of Plumbing, under direction of the Health 
Officer, to sign and issue all notices and cer- 
tificates, to keep a daily record of his work, in- 
cluding all notices and applications received, 
violation of these regulations, and all other 
matters which may pertain thereto; to make 
daily, weekly, and quarterly reports, and an 
annual report of his operations to the Health 
Officer. 
Sec. 3. He shall inspect all houses in course 
of erection, alteration or repair, as often as 
may be necessary, and shall see that all plumb- 
ing, drainage, and sewerage work is done in 
accordance with the provisions of these regu- 
lations. 
Sec. 4. He shall take and subscribe an oath 
or affirmation that he will faithfully perform 
the duties of his office, and shall, before enter- 
ing upon its duties, execute a bond to the Dis- 
trict of Columbia in the sum of five thousand 
dollars, with three sureties, to be approved by 
the Commissioners, conditioned upon the faith- 
Duties of Inspec- 
tor of Plumbing. 
Reports to be 
made. 
Houses to be in- 
spected. 
Oath to be taken 
and bond entered 
into. 5 
fill performance of the duties of his office, and 
for the benefit of all persons aggrieved by his 
acts or neglect. 
Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of every person 
doing business as a plumber, or engaged in 
conducting plumbing or house drainage in the 
District of Columbia, to register his or her 
name in a book to be provided for that purpose 
at the Health Department, giving full name, 
residence, and place of business, and in case of 
removal from one place to another, in said Dis- 
trict, to make change in said register accord- 
ingly, and it shall be the further duty of every 
such person to give good and sufficient bond in 
the sum of five hundred (500) dollars, to be 
approved by the Commissioners of the District 
of Columbia, conditioned upon the observance 
of these regulations. 
It shall be the duty of every such person to 
display at his or her place of business in a con- 
spicuous place a sign with full registered name 
and words ‘Registered Plumber,” in letters 
not less than three inches in size. 
Sec. 0. Before any portion of the drainage 
system of any building shall be laid or con- 
structed there shall be filed by the owner with 
the Health Officer, for the Inspector of Plumb- 
ing, a plan thereof showing the said drainage 
system entire from its connection with the main 
sewer to terminus in house, together with the 
location of all traps, ventilating pipes, &c. The 
name of the plumber who is to perform the 
Plumbers to be 
bonded, registered, 
and display a sign. 
Plan of plumbing 
work to be filed at 
Health Pepartm’t. 6 
work shall be given on said plan, which must be 
approved by the Inspector of Plumbing before 
any portion of the work shall be executed. A 
permit shall not be given for the erection of 
any building until said plan shall have been 
presented and approved. 
Sec. 7. No house or premises will be allowed 
to be connected with water, sewer, or gas main 
without a permit first obtained from the En- 
gineer Commissioner. The conditions of this 
permit must be strictly complied with, and the 
work must be done by the plumber in whose 
name the permit is given. 
This regulation applies to all sewers, whether 
on private property or in public streets or 
alleys. 
All plumbers are required to notify the En- 
gineer Commissioner of any and all extensions 
or alterations of water fixtures and pipes made 
inside of buildings, so that the same may be 
examined. 
Sec. 8. Blank forms of application will be 
furnished to plumbers. All applications must 
be signed by the owner of the premises, and 
his address written under his signature. Sign- 
ing by agents will not be accepted if the owner 
resides in the District of Columbia. 
Sec. 9. One dollar is required by law to be 
paid as permit fee for each house connected, 
the receipt of which must be endorsed upon the 
application; the fee to be paid to the collector 
of the District of Columbia. 
Permit required 
in all cases. 
Plumbers to no- 
tify the Engineer 
Commissioner of 
alterations, &c. 
Applications and 
blantt forms to be 
signed by owners. 
Fee required. 7 
Sec. 10. All connections with sewer must be 
' 
inspected by the Sewer-tapper before the trench 
is filled, whether the service pipes have been 
run to the building line or not, and all appoint- 
ments must be made when the permit is issued. 
Sewer pipes, or main drains are not to be 
raised or lowered, or otherwise changed, except 
under the inspection of the Sewer-tapper, and 
by permit from the Engineer Commissioner. 
Tunnelling is prohibited. All connections with 
pipe sewers must be made with Y branches. 
Tn every case where connection with brick sewers 
is made a terra-cotta junction block must be 
used. Branches and junction blocks, and all 
other material for use in or about the public 
sewers must be purchased from the District. 
Sec. 11. Pipe sewers must not be cut, nor 
any connections be made in any manhole, trap, 
or lateral. Each house must be drained by a 
separate drain not less than six inches in diam- 
eter, having a fall of not less than one in forty, 
laid (inside the building line) entirely within 
the lot to which it belongs, and connecting out- 
side the building line, only with that part of 
the system of drainage intended for it as shown 
on the general plans of sewerage on file in the 
office of the Engineer Commissioner. If this 
drain pipe be of terra-cotta it must be laid 
upon a foundation of hydraulic cement con- 
crete four inches in thickness. 
Sec. 12. All concrete pavements must be re- 
paired by the contractor doing such work for 
Inspection to be 
made before trench 
is filled. 
No changes al- 
lowed except upon 
permit. 
Connections how 
made. 
Pipe sewers not 
to be cut. Connec- 
tionsnot to be made 
with manhole trap 
or trap lateral. 
Each house to be 
separately drained. 
Fall required. 
■ Concrete pave- 
ments to be re- 
' paired by contrac- 8 
tor, and granite 
block pavements 
by Superintendent 
of Repairs. 
the District Government, and all granite block 
pavements by the Superintendent of Repairs, 
at rates to be fixed by the Commissioners. 
Persons desiring to remove said concrete or 
granite block pavements must first deposit 
with the chief clerk of the Engineer’s Depart- 
ment the estimated cost of repairing the same, 
the receipt for which must be exhibited before 
the permit is issued. After the completion of 
the work the surplus, if any, will be returned. 
Sec. 13. All permits for tapping sewers are 
given on conditions that owners take all risk 
of damages that may result from water setting 
back into premises from the main sewers, and 
in order to prevent as much as possible the 
setting back of water the owner shall be re- 
quired, at his own cost, to put in a self-acting 
or other valve in all cases where the back-flow 
from a sewer is to be apprehended; aud it shall 
be the duty of the owner to keep the valve in 
order, aud he must be responsible for its action 
in all cases. When the sewer connection is of 
iron, and carried up within the premises as a 
close pipe, without opening or connections of 
any kind, above the level of all back-flow, the 
flood-valve may be dispensed with, being un- 
necessary. 
Sec. 14. The trench must be filled up, thor- 
oughly puddled and rammed within forty-eight 
(48) hours after making the connection, and 
the pavement relaid not less than twenty days 
after filling, all in a workmanlike manner, 
Deposit to be 
made for removal 
of pavements. 
Valves to prevent 
back flows to be 
used whenever 
necessary. 
Time allowed for 
filling trench, &c. 9 
satisfactory to the District Commissioners, so 
that no settling will occur. All rubbish must be 
removed from the street on completion of the 
work. 
Sec. 15. A running trap shall be placed on 
every main drain at an accessible point, and 
a man-hole, with suitable iron cover, shall be 
constructed over the trap to admit of cleaning 
the same. 
Sec. 16. Every main drain shall have an 
inlet for fresh air entering on the house side of 
trap, and carried to such point as may be ap- 
proved by the Inspector. 
Sec. 17. When necessary to lay a soil pipe 
under a building, such pipe shall be of iron 
with leaded joints, and shall be so located as to 
be readily accessible for inspection. Such pipes 
shall be kept above ground, if practicable, shall 
be not less than four (4) inches in diameter, and 
shall extend above the roof of house; this exten- 
sion shall be at least four (4) inches in diameter. 
Sec. 18. Where pipe passes under walls of 
house there shall be a relieving arch to prevent 
pipe being broken by settling of brick work. 
Sec. 19. The weight of all iron pipe used 
under ground shall be not less than— 
For six-inch pipe, 20 pounds per lineal foot. 
For five-inch pipe, 17 “ “ 
For four-inch pipe, 13 “ “ 
For three-inch pipe, 91 “ “ 
For two-inch pipe, 51 “ “ 
Trap on main 
drain. 
Main drain to be 
ventilated. 
Iron soil pipe un- 
der buildings. 
Relieving arch 
to protect pipe from 
settling o/ walls. 
Weight of iron 
pipe under ground. 10 
Pipe to be coated 
with coal tar. 
Sec. 20. All iron, soil, and sewer pipes shall 
be coated inside and outside with coal tar ap- 
plied hot. All changes in direction shall be 
made with curved pipes, and all connections 
with Y branches and one-eighth bends. All 
connections of lead with iron pipes shall be 
made with brass thimbles, full size of iron pipe, 
caulked into the iron with lead, and plumbers’ 
wiped joints. 
Sec. 21. Sub soil drains shall be provided 
whenever dampness of site of any proposed 
dwelling is known to exist. These may be of 
terra-cotta, not connected with sewers, but dis- 
charge into a manhole over running traps, and 
have a back water valve. 
Sec. 22. No vault, sink, cesspool or drywell 
shall be in any way connected with the drain- 
age system of any house, and all vaults, sinks, 
or cesspools must be water tight. 
Sec. 23. Rain-water leaders when placed in- 
side of any house shall be of iron with leaded 
or screwed joints ; and when opening below or 
near any windows shall be effectually trapped. 
Sec. 24. No brick, sheet-metal, or earthen- 
ware flue shall be used as a sewer ventilator, 
or trap vent. 
Sec. 25. All soil, drain, waste and supply 
pipes shall be concentrated as much as possible, 
protected from exposure to frost, and shall be so 
located as to be readily accessible for inspection. 
Changes of direc- 
tion. 
Connection of 
lead with iron pipe. 
Sub soil drains 
to be provided. 
Vaults, sinks and 
cess pools not to be 
connected with 
drainage system. 
Rain-water lead- 
ers, &c. 
Flue not to be 
used as ventilator. 
Pipes to be con- 
centrated. 11 
Sec. 26. Every soil, drain, or waste pipe in- 
side of the building line and five (5) feet ex- 
terior thereto, shall be of iron. 
Sec. 27. No trap shall be placed on or at 
the foot of vertical soil pipes so as to impede 
circulation of air. 
Sec. 28. All water-closets, sinks, basins, wash 
trays, &c., shall have suitable and approved 
traps placed as near as practicable to said 
fixtures. 
Sec. 29. Each and every trap shall have a 
special vent pipe of iron, extending either 
above the roof of house, or into the soil pipe 
above the highest fixtures. 
Sec. 30. The vent pipe for each water-closet 
trap shall be not less than two (2) inches in 
diameter, and for traps under other fixtures not 
less than one and one-fourth inches; but if ex- 
ceeding ten (10) feet in length this pipe shall 
be not less than one and one-half (1J) inches 
in diameter. 
Sec. 31. Waste pipes from bath tubs, wash- 
stands, and sinks shall not be connected with 
the trap of a water-closet. 
Sec. 32. There shall be no direct connection 
of water-closets above basement floor with ser- 
vice pipe. 
Sec. 33. Means for thorough flushing of all 
Soil and drain 
pipes to be of iron. 
No traps on ver- 
tical soil pipes. 
When traps shall 
be used. 
Ventilation of 
traps. 
Size of vent pipe. 
Connection of 
waste from bath- 
tubs, wash stands, 
and sinks. 
No direct con- 
nection of water- 
closet with service 
pipe. 
Flushing to be 
secured. 12 
soil pipes, drain pipes, and water-closets shall 
be provided in every case. 
Sec. 34. Where water supply is not ample 
for proper flushing of water-closets, &c., the 
Inspector of Plumbing may, in his discretion, 
order the erection of a tank or cistern into 
which water may flow at night, or into which 
it may be pumped. 
Sec. 35. Cisterns or tanks erected for pur- 
poses described in the foregoing paragraph 
shall not have an overflow pipe connected with 
any drain, and water supply for domestic pur- 
poses shall not be drawn therefrom. 
Sec. 36. All safes and refrigerators shall be 
drained by special pipes not directly connected 
with the house drain or main sewer. 
Sec. 37. Wooden wash-trays and sinks are 
prohibited inside of buildings; they shall be 
of non-absorbent material. 
Sec. 38. The Inspector of Plumbing shall 
be notified promptly in writing by the plumber, 
and upon blank forirfs to be provided for that 
purpose, when the plumbing work on any house 
is completed and ready for inspection. All in- 
spections shall be made as soon as possible after 
such notification, and the pipes shall be tested 
by filling with water. No part of the plumb- 
ing work of any house shall be covered, or in 
any manner hidden from view until after such 
inspections shall have been made, and a certifi- 
cate of approval issued by the Inspector. 
Tanks or cisterns 
to be used when 
necessary. 
Supply for do- 
mestic purposes 
not to be drawn 
from tank or cis- 
tern. 
Safes, and refrig- 
erators to be speci- 
ally drained. 
Wooden wash- 
trays, and sinks 
prohibited. 
Notification to be 
given by the plum- 
ber in writing. 
Work to remain 
exposed until after 
approval. 13 
Sec. 39. The Inspector shall promptly con- 
demn and order the removal of any defective 
material, or of any work done other than in 
accordance with the provisions of these regu- 
lations. 
Sec. 40. Prosecution for infringement upon 
the provisions of these regulations shall be made 
by information filed in the Police Court in the 
District of Columbia. 
Sec. 41. These regulations shall be subject 
to alteration or amendment at any time. 
Smith Townshend, M. D., 
Health Officer, District of Columbia. 
Approved. 
Defective work 
and material to be 
condemned. 
How prosecution 
shall be instituted. 
Amendments, &c. 15 
Office of the Commissioners, 
District of Columbia, 
Washington, November 17, 1882. 
Order. 
Ordered : 
That the above amended regulations are ap- 
proved ; and it is further required that permits 
shall be kept at hand during the progress of 
the work, to which they relate, and that they 
shall be exhibited whenever required by the 
proper officers of the District. The police are 
instructed to arrest auy one found making any 
excavation in the streets or making any sewer 
connection without permits, as required by the 
foregoing regulations. 
J. R. West, 
Thos. P. Morgan, 
G. J. Lydecker, 
Major of Engineers, U. S. A., 
Commissioners of the District of Columbia.