Charles County, MD Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Plumbing code adopted
- 2021 International Plumbing Code
- Water service pipe sizing
- Set by Water & Sewer Ordinance
- Water/sewer separation
- 5 feet horizontal, or sleeved
- Vertical alternative
- 12 inches above sewer top
- Appendices adopted
- B, C, D and E
- Enforcing office
- Building Code Official, Planning & Growth Mgmt
Summary
Charles County adopted the 2021 International Plumbing Code as part of its Building Code, administered by the Building Code Official in Planning and Growth Management. Local amendments control how water service lines are sized, how far they must sit from building sewers, and whether a private sewage disposal option applies where a sewer connection is required.
IPC Section 603.1, Size of water service pipe, should read as follows: "The water service pipe shall be sized to supply water to the structure in the quantities and at the pressure required in this code. The minimum diameter of water service pipe shall be in accordance with the Charles County Water & Sewer Ordinance." ... IPC Section 701.2, Sewer required, remove the statement "or an approved private sewage disposal system in accordance with the International Private Sewage Disposal Code" without replacement.
Full Breakdown
County Code § 224-1(1) adopted the 2021 International Plumbing Code, alongside the IBC, IRC, IECC, IFGC, IEBC, IMC, ISPSC and IPMC, collectively as "The Building Code of Charles County," effective for all permit applications. 4 then amends specific IPC provisions. 1, Size of water service pipe, is rewritten so the minimum diameter of the water service pipe must follow the Charles County Water & Sewer Ordinance rather than the stock IPC sizing table. 2, or the two lines must be horizontally separated by at least five feet of undisturbed or compacted earth, unless the water line is sleeved at least five feet past the sewer's centerline on both sides of a crossing, or the water line's bottom sits at least 12 inches above the top of the sewer within that five-foot zone.
2, Sewer required, has the phrase allowing an approved private sewage disposal system in lieu of a sewer connection deleted without replacement, so that fallback runs through the county's separate private-system rules instead. The county also adopted IPC Appendices B (rainfall rates), C (structural safety), D (degree-day and design temperatures) and E (water piping sizing) into the local plumbing code.
Violations & Fines
Plumbing work is enforced through the Building Code Official in the Department of Planning and Growth Management as part of the same adopted Building Code covering the IBC, IPC and companion codes. Undersizing the water service line below the county's Water & Sewer Ordinance standard, crowding the required separation between a water service and building sewer, or substituting an unapproved private sewage arrangement where IPC § 701.2 as amended no longer permits one, is a code violation handled through the county's standard building-permit compliance process, including the withholding of related permits until the violation is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code applies in Charles County?
How far apart do my water service and sewer lines need to be?
Can I still use a private septic system instead of connecting to a sewer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charles County
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