| Question: 05-17 | Code Section: 7 | Date: | OBC 2006 Reference: |
Question: Housing project has no sanitary services. However, they do have storm sewers. According to Sentence 9.31.4.4.(1) a floor drain shall be installed in a basement forming part of a dwelling, Sentence (3) states that where gravity drainage to the sanitary is not possible the floor drain may connect to storm drainage as 1 option. The plumbers have started connecting the drain to the storm upstream of the BWV without a P-trap. They are claiming that a trap is necessary when sewer gases are present and since there are no gases present in the storm system that the trap is NOT required. Floor drain is not a defined term in the code but it is listed as a fixture with an assigned load, is this acceptable?
Interpretation: (On. Reg. 403/97) Too bad we do not have a Sentence (2) in Article 7.4.5.2. Traps for Storm Drainage Systems like the Canadian Plumbing Code (A floor drain which drains to a storm drainage system shall be protected by a trap which a) is located between the floor drain and a leader, storm building drain or storm building sewer, b) may serve all floor drains located in the same room, and c) need not be protected by a vent pipe. ) because that would have solved your problem however we do not have that sentence. But from the answers I received we all agreed that the floor drain would require a trap regardless of where it discharged and this we based on 7.4.5.1.(1).
Once the floor drain is attached to the piping, it becomes storm drainage piping and is subject to Part 7.
Note: Maybe the Ministry could entertain this as a proposal to amend or add the missing Sentence in Article 7.4.5.2.
Motion: To adopt the applicable NPC requirements.