Section 5
SEC. 5. The President of the Philippines is hereby authorized to issue rules and regulations to carry into effect the objectives of this Act, upon recommendation of the Board of Examiners for Master Plumbers and in consultation with a duly registered national association of master plumbers, in accordance with the following basic principles, except in cases where it may prove oppressive or excessively burdensome to those without sufficient means and to such buildings, structures or constructions valued at five thousand pesos or less: All premises intended for human habitation, occupancy, or use shall be provided with a supply of pure and wholesome water, neither connected with unsafe water supplies nor subject to the hazards of backflow or back-siphonage. Plumbing fixtures, devices, and appurtenances shall be supplied with water in sufficient volume and at pressures adequate to enable them to function satisfactorily and without undue noise under all normal conditions of use. Plumbing shall be designed and adjusted to use the minimum quantity of water consistent with proper performance and cleaning. Devices for heating and storing water shall be so designed and installed as to prevent dangers from explosion through overheating. Every building having plumbing fixtures installed and intended for human habitation, occupancy, or use on premises abutting on a street, alley, or easement in which there is a public sewer shall have a connection with the sewer. Each family dwelling unit on premises abutting on sewer or with a private sewage-disposal system shall have, at least, one water closet and one kitchen-type sink. It is further recommended that a lavatory and bath-tub or shower shall be installed to meet the basic requirements of sanitation and personal hygiene. All other structures for human occupancy or use on premises abutting on a sewer or with a private sewage-disposal system shall have adequate sanitary facilities but in no case less than one water closet and one other fixture for cleansing purposes. Plumbing fixtures shall be made of smooth non-absorbent material, and shall be free from concealed fouling surface. The drainage system shall be designed, constructed and maintained so as to guard against fouling, deposit of solids, and clogging, and with adequate cleanouts so arranged that the pipes may be readily cleaned. The piping of the plumbing system shall be of durable materials, free from defective workmanship and so designed and constructed as to give satisfactory service for its reasonable expected life. Each fixture directly connected to the drainage system shall be equipped with a water-seal trap. The drainage system shall be designed to provide an adequate circulation of air in pipes with no danger of siphonage, aspiration, or forcing of trap seals under condition of ordinary use. Each terminal shall extend to the outer air and be so installed as to minimize the possibilities of clogging and the return of foul air to the building. The plumbing system shall be subject to such tests as will effectively disclose all leaks and defects in the work. No substance which will clog the pipes, produce explosive mixtures, destroy the pipes or their joints, or interfere unduly with the sewage-disposal process shall be allowed to enter the building drainage system. Proper protection shall be provided to prevent contamination of food, water, sterile goods, and similar materials by backflow of sewage. When necessary, the fixture, device, or appliance shall be connected indirectly with the building drainage system. No water closet nor urinal shall be located in a room or compartment which is not properly lighted and ventilated. If water closets or other plumbing fixtures are installed in buildings where there is no sewer within a reasonable distance, suitable provision shall be made for disposing of the building sewage by some accepted method of sewage treatment and disposal. Where a plumbing drainage system may be subjecte to backflow of sewage, suitable provision shall be made prevent its overflow in the building. Plumbing system shall be maintained in a sanitary and serviceable condition. All plumbing fixtures shall be so installed with regard to spacing as to be reasonably accessible for their intended use. Plumbing shall be installed with due regard to reservation of the strength of structural members and prevention of damage to walls and other surfaces through fixture usage. Sewage or other waste from a plumbing system which may be deleterious to surface or subsurface waters shall not be discharged into the ground or into any waterway unless it has first been rendered innocuous through subjection to some acceptable form of treatment.