When you make a code compliant installation of a service in a building that is served by an interconnected metal underground water piping system, some of the current that should be flowing on the grounded conductor will flow on the parallel path provided by the water pipe. Is this a serious hazard? Should the code be changed to prohibit the use of the interconnected metal underground water piping system as a grounding electrode? Why or why not?
By "interconnected" I mean that the water pipe in building one is tied to a metallic main and the water pipes in the surrounding buildings are connected to the same main. This occurs everywhere where both the building water service pipes and the water mains are metallic.
Don(resqcapt19)
