Exhibit 250.28 is the paradox. If he put a 6" piece of #2 on the water pipe and tapped that for each panel it would look like the picture in the handbook but I would see that as a spliced GEC. (obviously I don't like exhibit 250.28)
The most elegant solution is to make the GEC connection in the meter base with a #2 but that is not what he did.
I do see the "loop" Roger is talking about but that exists in exhibit 250.28 too. I think one #2 in either service panel would satisfy 250.24(A)(1)
