Building Code Glossary
Nonpotable Water: Building Code Definition
How the IPC 2009 define nonpotable water, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Nonpotable water is a defined term in the International Plumbing Code (IPC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “Water not safe for drinking, personal or culinary utilization.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IPC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 4 chapters of this corpus, most often in Water Supply and Distribution (IPC 2009), Water Supply and Distribution (IRC 2009), Indirect/special Waste (IPC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Nonpotable Water — IPC 2009, Definitions:
Water not safe for drinking, personal or culinary utilization.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Nonpotable Water is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Plumbing Code (IPC) 2009:
Water not safe for drinking, personal or culinary utilization.
Where nonpotable water is used in the code
The term appears in 4 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Water Supply and Distribution | IPC 2009 | 6 |
| Water Supply and Distribution | IRC 2009 | 5 |
| Indirect/special Waste | IPC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IPC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about nonpotable water, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
In buildings where nonpotable water systems are installed, the piping conveying the nonpotable water shall be identified either by color marking or metal tags in accordance with Sections 608.8.1 through 608.8.3.
In a building where a nonpotable water-distribution system is installed, the nonpotable system shall be identified by color marking, metal tags or other appropriate method.
Where devices and equipment such as process tanks, filters, drips and boilers discharge nonpotable water to the building drainage system, the discharge shall be through an indirect waste pipe by means of an air break or an air gap.
Nonpotable Water: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IPC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Water Supply and Distribution (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Water Supply and Distribution (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Indirect/special Waste (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Definitions (IPC 2009) | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Building: Building Code Definition
- Construction Documents: Building Code Definition
- Registered Design Professional: Building Code Definition
- Dwelling Unit: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of nonpotable water?
The International Plumbing Code (IPC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “Water not safe for drinking, personal or culinary utilization.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on nonpotable water?
In this corpus the term is used across 4 chapters, led by Water Supply and Distribution in the IPC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is the definition of nonpotable water?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IPC 2009 states, in Definitions: “Water not safe for drinking, personal or culinary utilization.” It is defined in IPC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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