Building Code Glossary
Sewage Pump: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define sewage pump, 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
Sewage pump is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A permanently installed mechanical device for removing sewage or liquid waste from a sump.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IRC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 5 chapters of this corpus, most often in Sanitary Drainage (IPC 2009), Vents (IPC 2009), Vents (IRC 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?
Sewage Pump — IRC 2009, Definitions:
A permanently installed mechanical device for removing sewage or liquid waste from a sump.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Sewage Pump is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
A permanently installed mechanical device for removing sewage or liquid waste from a sump.
Where sewage pump is used in the code
The term appears in 5 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Sanitary Drainage | IPC 2009 | 4 |
| Vents | IPC 2009 | 4 |
| Vents | IRC 2009 | 4 |
| Sanitary Drainage | IRC 2009 | 3 |
| Definitions | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about sewage pump, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
A sewage pump or sewage ejector shall automatically discharge the contents of the sump to the building drainage system.
A sewage pump or sewage ejector shall have the capacity and head for the application requirements.
The terms sewage pump is built out of
The definition above leans on 4 other defined terms. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what sewage pump covers:
- Liquid — IBC 2009: A material that has a melting point that is equal to or less than 68°F (20°C) and a boiling point that is greater than 68°F (20°C) at 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute (psia) (101 kPa).
- Device — IRC 2009: Aunit of an electrical system that carries or controls electrical energy as it principal function.
- Sewage — IRC 2009: Any liquid waste containing animal matter, vegetable matter or other impurity in suspension or solution.
- Waste — IRC 2009: Liquid-borne waste that is free of fecal matter.
Sewage Pump: 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 IRC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Sanitary Drainage (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Vents (IPC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Vents (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Sanitary Drainage (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Liquid | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Device | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Sewage | |
| 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
- Sewage: Building Code Definition
- Liquid: Building Code Definition
- Device: Building Code Definition
- Waste: 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 sewage pump?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A permanently installed mechanical device for removing sewage or liquid waste from a sump.” 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 sewage pump?
In this corpus the term is used across 5 chapters, led by Sanitary Drainage 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.
Is a sewage pump a submersible pump?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Definitions: “A permanently installed mechanical device for removing sewage or liquid waste from a sump.” It is defined in IRC 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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