Water Pipe Bonding

[sparkmatic]

Doing a panel upgrade, water pipe is about 130 feet away from the service location. It is metallic underground out to the curb where the water meter is located but going into the home it is now plastic. Still waiting for AHJ to get back to me as to how they want to see it addressed. Is it a safety concern that the water pipe is not bonded to the grounding electrode system in this case. It already is not but looks like a hack job by whomever did the job. There is no other GE system I will be driving 2 rods by the SE, home is in southern California about 60 year old home. I don't see any distinction in the code as to the piping going into the home, only that it be bonded with in 5 feet of entry and be metallic for at least 10'. Home this makes sense.

Thanks

 

[LarryFine]

It is metallic underground out to the curb where the water meter is located but going into the home it is now plastic.

How close to the house is the nearest metal piping? Is any interior piping metal?

 

[sparkmatic]

How close to the house is the nearest metal piping? Is any interior piping metal?

Up to the outer wall no interior piping is metallic. Again realize the code talks about it as a grounding electrode and it certainly would be but it's so far from the service if it doesn't cause an unsafe issue could it not be utilized and just drive ground rods and I must anyway.

 

[infinity]

So the metallic buried portion connects to plastic pipe that enters into the house? If so then it is not an electrode. You'll need to create a GES which can be two ground rods. If the interior piping system within the house is metallic then that needs to be bonded at any convenient point on that system.

 

[LarryFine]

So the metallic buried portion connects to plastic pipe that enters into the house? If so then it is not an electrode. You'll need to create a GES which can be two ground rods. If the interior piping system within the house is metallic then that needs to be bonded at any convenient point on that system.

Agreed.

 

[sparkmatic]

Agreed.

I do for sure but hoping the AHJ does not say well the pipe is in the ground you must use it as part of you grounding electrode system. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything that not bonding it would make it a hazard, I don't see it but always like some other input. Thanks

 

[infinity]

You're not expected to dig up the yard when the water pipe entering the house is plastic. Notice the requirement states that the connection is to the interior metal water pipe.

250.68(C) Grounding Electrode Conductor Connections. 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 that is electrically continuous with a metal underground water pipe electrode and is
located not more than 1.52 m (5 ft) from the point of entrance to the building shall be permitted to extend the
connection to an electrode(s). Interior metal water piping located more than 1.52 m (5 ft) from the point of
entrance to the building shall not be used as a conductor to interconnect electrodes of the grounding electrode
system.