250.52 Grounding Electrodes.
(A) Electrodes Permitted for Grounding.
(1) Metal Underground Water Pipe. A metal underground water pipe in direct contact with the earth for 3.0 m (10 ft) or more (including any metal well casing bonded to the pipe) and electrically continuous (or made electrically continuous by bonding around insulating joints or insulating pipe) to the points of connection of the grounding electrode conductor and the bonding conductor(s) or jumper(s), if installed.
Notice that there is a big change from the ?08 code cycle in the verbiage used in this section. This change was made to clear up the confusion that the first five feet of metal water pipe that enters the building is not part of the electrode but the path that leads to the electrode.
250.68 Grounding Electrode Conductor and Bonding Jumper Connection to Grounding Electrodes.
(C) Metallic Water Pipe and Structural Metal. Grounding electrode conductors and bonding jumpers shall be permitted to be connected at the following locations and used to extend the connection to an electrode(s):
(1) Interior metal water piping located not more than 1.52 m (5 ft) from the point of entrance to the building shall be permitted to be used as a conductor to interconnect electrodes that are part of the grounding electrode system.
The mention of the first five feet was moved to 250.68(C) and the verbiage is very clear that the only part of the metal water pipe that is electrode is that part that is in contact with earth, and anything else is nothing more than an extension to that electrode.
So let?s say that just before entering the building the metal water pipe is changed to nonmetallic pipe. Is there still an electrode present and if so is it required to be used? If you answer this yes would this mean that the connection is underground?
