Connections to Cold Water Pipe

[Grouch1980]

In an existing building in NYC, 2 of the Service Switches are grounded via individual GEC's to the cold water pipe; each switch has its own GEC going to the cold water pipe, terminating with its own clamp on the water pipe. So there are 2 clamps on the water pipe.

One of the clamps has an additional GEC that then runs to a ground rod.

My question is: Can this connection to the ground rod, originating from only one of the water pipe clamps, also apply to the other clamp? In other words, does the ground rod connection apply to both of these service switches?

I would assume the answer is yes.

 

[augie47]

If both clamps are within the 1st 5 ft of the pipes entrance to the building I would say "yes" based on 250.68

 

[Elect117]

If you take a look at 250.68(C) cold water can be used as a way of bonding multiple electrodes. It can be considered a grounding electrode conductor.

Another example of one is building steel. Building steel, while not always considered an electrode itself can be used as a grounding electrode conductor to bond multiple electrodes.