Not True

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Moderator Post (s) for this thread: > Grounding generators and separately derived systems by Billhart on 01/11/2009 > Grounding Electrodes by Billhart on 01/11/2009 > And By the Way by homebild on 01/11/2009 > Required grounding Electrodes by Billhart on 01/11/2009 > I Love it when the big boys go at it!!! by Jasper on 01/13/2009 > Portable or semi-portable generators by Billhart on 01/11/2009 > Ground wire by Billhart on 01/11/2009

Billhart mistakenly said:

"If the water supply to the building is metalic and under ground and 10 ft or longer then it MUST BE USED AS A GROUND ELECTRODE."
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Unfortunatley, this is simply NOT TRUE and not part of the 2005 NEC or electrical provisions of the 2006 ICC Electrical Code.

E3508.1.1 Metal Underground Water Pipe states:

"A metal undeground water pipe that is in direct contact with the earth for 10 feet or more, including any well casing effectively bonded to the pipe that is electrically continuous, or made electrically continuous by bonding around insulating pipe to the points of connection of the grounding elctrode conductor and the bonding conductors, SHALL BE CONSIDERED AS A GROUNDING ELECTRODE."

The same verbiage can be found in the 2005 NEC sections 250.53(D) and 250.53(E) of the 2005 NEC

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The bottom line is that a water pipe serving as a grounding electrode is neither 'antiquated' nor 'out-of-date'

Modern electrical code permits a metal water pipe to be used as a grounding electrode even to this day.

Likewise, however, there is also no MANDATORY REQUIREMENT, that a metal water pipe be used as a grounding electrode.

A metal water service pipe MAY be used as a grounding electrode...But there is absolutely NO Code requirement that says an existing metallic water service pipe MUST be used as a grounding electrode.

None.