Traps on Storm Drains and Leaders

Where Required. Traps shall be installed in leaders and storm drain piping system when
connected to a combined sewer pipeline. Traps shall be provided on floor and area drains
connected to a storm drain piping system.

Exception: In locations allowed under Section 1606.0, (Vent Termination), traps shall not be
required in roof drains, rain leaders, and other inlets.

Where Not Required. Traps shall not be required for leaders or conductors that are connected
to a solely sewer carrying storm water.

Trap Size

The size of traps shall be the same size as the horizontal drain to which they are connected
when installed for individual conductors.

Method of Installation of Combined Sewer

Each inlet of the storm water drain branch shall be provided with storm water traps, or
immediately before its connection with the combined building sewer, a single trap shall be
installed. All traps shall be provided with an accessible cleanout on the outlet side of the trap.

Leaders, Conductors, and Connections

Improper Use

Leaders or conductors shall not be connected to the building soil, waste, or vent pipes nor shall
soil, waste, or vent pipes shall be connected to leaders or conductors. Leaders or conductors
shall not be used as soil, waste or vent pipes and vice-versa.

Protection of Leaders

Leaders shall be recessed into the wall or shall be made from ferrous pipe or shall be provided
with metal guards where leaders are located along alleyways, driveways, or other locations
where they may be exposed to damage.

Combining Storm with Sanitary Drainage

The waste and storm drainage piping system of a building shall be completely separate.

Exception: Where a combined sewer is used to receive rainwater from the building storm drain,
the storm drain pipe shall be connected in the same horizontal elevation of the combined sewer
through single wye fittings at least ten (10) feet (3,048 mm) downstream from any soil stack.
Roof Drains
Material

 Roof drains shall be constructed of internationally marked approved materials. Local

manufacture materials shall be tested and approved by Authority Having Jurisdiction.
 Roof drains shall be of cast iron or plastic.

Dome or Strainer for General Use.

On roofs where water will be entrapped due to the extended perimeter walls above the roof shall
be provided with drains and overflow drains and shall be equipped with strainers extending not
less than four (4) inches (102 mm) above the surface of the roof. Strainers shall have a
minimum inlet area above the roof level of not less than one and one-half (11/2) times the area
of the conductor or leader to which the drain is connected.

Strainers for Flat Decks.

Flat surface type roof drain strainers shall be allowed for use on sun decks, parking decks, and
similar areas that are normally serviced and maintained. The flat surface type roof drain
strainers shall be on the same level with the deck and shall have an available inlet area of no
less than two (2) times the area of the conductor or leader to which the drain is connected.

Roof Drain Flashing

Roof drains that penetrates through the roof and into the interior of building shall be connected
to the roof by the use of proper flashing material made of water tight.

 Lead flashing materials shall have a minimum of four (4) pounds per square foot (19.5
kg/m2).
 Copper flashing materials shall have a minimum to twelve (12) ounces per square foot
(3.7 kg/m2).

Size of Leaders, Conductors, and Storm Drains

Vertical Conductors and Leaders

The pipe size of vertical conductors and leaders shall be determined by the maximum projected
roof area using Table 17-1 together with Table 17-6.

Size of Horizontal Storm Drains and Sewers

Horizontal building storm drains or building storm sewer pipes or any of their branches shall be
sized based on the maximum projected roof or paved coverage area and Table 17-2 together
with Table 17-6.
Size of Roof Gutters

The size of semi-circular gutters shall be based on the maximum projected roof area and Table
17-3 together with Table 17-6.

Side Walls Draining onto a Roof

Where a roof area is connected to adjacent vertical walls that are_ projected above the roof
allowing storm water to drain to the adjacent connected roof area shall be computed from Table
17-1 and Table 17-6 as follows:

(1) For one (1) wall - add fifty (50) percent of the wall area to the roof area figures.
(2) For two (2) adjacent walls - add thirty-five (35) percent of the total wall areas.
(3) Two (2) opposite walls of same height - add no additional area.
(4) Two (2) opposite walls of differing heights - add fifty (50) percent of the wall area above
the top of the lower wall.
(5) Walls on three (3) sides - add fifty (50) percent of the area of the inner wall below the top
of the lowest wall, plus allowance for the area of the wall above the top of the lowest
wall, per (2) and (4) above.
(6) Walls on four (4) sides - no allowance for wall areas below the top of the lowest wall -
add for areas above top of the lowest wall per (1), (2), (4) and (5) above.

Values for Continuous Flow

For continuous or semi-continuous discharge of water into the building storm drain system or
building storm sewer system, from a pump, ejector air-conditioning plant, or similar device, one
(1) gpm (3.8 L/min.) of such discharge shall be computed as being equivalent to twenty-four
(24) square feet (2.2 m2) of roof area, based upon a rate of rainfall of four (4) inches (102 mm)
per hour.

Controlled Flow Roof Drainage

Application

The roof drainage shall be allowed to be sized based on controlled flow and storage of the
storm water, provided the following conditions are met:

(1) The water from a 25-year frequency storm shall not be stored on the roof for more than
twenty-four (24) hours.
(2) During the storm, the water depth shall not exceed the depths specified in Table 17-4.
(3) Roof areas not less than ten thousand (10,000) square feet (929.0 m) shall be provided
with not less than two (2) drains, and for each ten 2 thousand (10,000) square feet
(929.0 m) additional roof area over ten thousand 2 (10,000) square feet (929.0 m) no
less than one (1) additional storm drain shall be installed.
(4) A pre-calibrated, fixed (non-adjustable), and proportional weir (notched) in a standing
water collar inside the strainer shall be provided in each roof drain. No mechanical
devices or valves shall be allowed.
 (5) The flow rate (gpm) of the pre-calibrated weir shall be used in sizing the drain pipe
provided the flow rate does not exceed the maximum allowable water depth and Tables
17 -1 and 17-2.
(6) The water depth-measurement shall not be measured to include the height of stones or
other granular material above the water-proofed surface, and the roof surface in the
vicinity of the drain shall not be recessed to create a reservoir.
(7) For controlled flow roof drainage, the roof design shall be the responsibility of the
architect and structural engineer and such that the minimum design roof live load
represent the depth of water stored on the roof as indicated in Table 17-4 and a factor of
safety.
(8) For controlled roof drainage, the parapet walls shall be provided with scuppers. The
maximum distance of scupper bottoms above roof level at the drains shall not exceed
the maximum distances specified in Table 17-5.
(9) Scupper openings shall be a minimum of 4 inches high and a width equal to the
circumference of the roof drain required for the area it will serve and determined and
sized by Table 17-1.
(10) Flashings shall extend above the top of the scuppers.
(11) At any wall or parapet, a forty-five (45) degree (0.79 rad) cants shall be installed.
(12) The storm and waste drainage piping systems shall be separated within the
building.
(13) Calculations for the roof drainage system shall be submitted together with the
plans to the Authority Having Jurisdiction for approval.

Setback Roofs

Drains on setback roofs maybe connected to the controlled flow drainage systems provided:

(1) The setback is designed for storing water, or

(2) The setback drainage area is converted as outlined in Section 1708.0 to gpm, and based
on the sum of the loads the storm water pipe sizes are determined in the controlled flow
system.
(3) Any branch from each of the roof drains that are not provided with controlled flow shall
be sized in accordance with Table 17-1 and Table 17-6.

Testing

Any new building storm drainage systems and parts of existing systems that have been altered,
extended, or repaired shall be tested as described in Section 1709.2 water tight without leaks
and defects.

Methods of Testing Storm Drainage Systems

Upon completion of the rough piping installation, the piping of storm drain systems shall be
tested by water or air, and proved the drain pipe watertight. Either of the following test methods
shall be used.
Water Test

Upon completion of installation of the storm drainage piping water test shall be applied to the
drainage system, either to the entire system or to sections. When the entire system is to be
water tested, all openings in the piping system shall be tightly closed except the highest
opening. The system shall be filled with water to point of overflow.

When drainage and vent piping system is tested in sections, the openings in the section shall be
tightly plugged. The section to be tested shall be filled with water and the upper part of the
section being tested shall have a head pressure of not less ten (10) feet (3048 mm) head of
water.

When testing successive sections, the upper ten (10) feet (3048 mm) of the next preceding
section shall be tested, so that no joint or pipe in the building (except the uppermost ten (10)
feet (3048 mm) of the system) shall have been submitted to a test of less than ten (10) feet
(3048 mm) head of water. The water shall be kept in the system, or in the portion under test for
at least fifteen (15) minutes before the inspection starts. The system shall then be tight at all
points and no water leaks shall be observed.

Air Test

An air compressor testing apparatus shall be used in conducting an air test by connecting it to
any suitable opening of the drainage and vent piping system. After closing all other inlets and
outlets of the drainage and vent system, air is forced into the system until there is a uniform
gauge pressure of five (5) pounds per square inch (34.5 kPa) or sufficient to balance a column
of mercury ten (10) inches (254 mm) in height. The pressure shall be held without introduction
of additional air for a period of at least fifteen (15) minutes. The system shall then be tight at all
points and no leaks shall be observed.

Exceptions. When circumstances exist that make air and water tests described in Sections
1709.2.1 and 1709.2.2 above impractical, see Section 103.5.3.

Referenced Publications

The documents or portions of this chapter have been reproduced from the California Plumbing
Code 2007.