Maryland Statutes
Part IV - Excavation and Demolition
Section 12-129 - Detectable Wires for Connecting Buildings to Water Supply or Sewerage Systems

(a)    Subject to subsection (c) of this section, any new or replacement piping that is buried or installed for the purposes of connecting a building to a water supply system, a sewerage system, an underground storm drain system, or any other applicable device shall be buried or installed with a wire or an equivalent product or technology that makes the piping detectable or locatable.
    (b)    Any wire used to comply with subsection (a) of this section shall:
        (1)    be an insulated copper tracer wire that is suitable for direct burial and has an American wire gauge (AWG) of at least 10, or an equivalent product;
        (2)    be installed:
            (i)    in the same trench as the piping that connects the building to the water supply system or the sewerage system;
            (ii)    within 12 inches of the piping that connects the building to the water supply system or the sewerage system; and
            (iii)    with at least one end of the wire terminating above grade in a location that is accessible and resistant to physical damage, such as in a cleanout or next to an external wall of the building; and
        (3)    run from within 5 feet of an external wall of the building to:
            (i)    the point where the piping intersects with the water supply system or the sewerage system; or
            (ii)    the point where the sewerage system disposes of or processes the sewage.
    (c)    The requirement of subsection (a) of this section with regard to replacement piping connecting a building to a water supply system or a sewerage system:
        (1)    applies only to a complete replacement of the piping; and
        (2)    does not apply to a repair or a partial replacement of the piping.

Structure Maryland Statutes