Section 890.810  Minimum Number of Plumbing Fixtures

a)         Minimum Number of Fixtures Required.  Plumbing fixtures shall be provided, for each building type and occupant load, in the minimum numbers shown in Appendix A.Table B, Minimum Number of Plumbing Fixtures, except as noted in footnote 2.  Questions concerning the minimum numbers of fixtures required for building types not listed in Appendix A.Table B, shall be referred to the Department in writing prior to construction for a decision concerning the minimum numbers (and types) of plumbing fixtures required.  The Department's decision shall be in writing based on Appendix A.Table B.

1)         Building Classification.  For purposes of this Part, buildings shall be classified according to the types shown in Appendix A.Table B.  Buildings that incorporate more than one type of building use or occupancy, as classified by the Department, shall provide the combined numbers of fixtures required for the individual uses.  Individual businesses within the same building or within an enclosed mall may share public or employee restroom facilities, provided that the access to the restrooms does not require trespass on adjoining businesses or leased space. Restrooms shall be open at all times when any individual business within the same building or within an enclosed mall is open.

2)         Occupant Load.  For those building types for which the minimum number of plumbing fixtures required in Appendix A.Table B is dependent upon the building's occupant load, the occupant load shall be the estimated total occupant load.  If the building's occupant load is not known or determinable, the following shall be used to estimate the total occupant load:

A)        In assembly places (sports arenas, stadiums, convention centers, theaters, auditoriums, gymnasiums or other facilities for spectator events); worship places and funeral homes; schools; office buildings; food service establishments; and mercantile units, the total occupant load (employees and public users of the facility) shall be based on the capacity of the rooms or spaces used for assembly purposes or other intended occupancy and shall be determined as follows:

i)          In rooms or spaces with fixed seating, the occupant load shall be the actual number of seats provided.  When no divisions between seats are provided (e.g., benches or pews), fixed seating shall be computed assuming 18 inches per person.

ii)         In rooms or spaces without fixed seating, the occupant load shall be determined by dividing the gross floor area by the estimated floor area per person shown in the following table:

iii)        For a drive-in food service establishment, the occupant load shall be considered as equal to the number of parking stalls.

B)        Dormitories and Institutions.  For dormitories, penal institutions and other residential institutions other than hospitals, the total occupant load shall be based upon the number of beds in the dormitory or institution.

C)        Restroom Location and Requirements.  The required number of plumbing fixtures for a restroom shall be located within the restroom area and not in the hallways or vestibules.  Lavatories required by Appendix A.Table B shall be installed in restrooms at a ratio of not less than one lavatory per two water closets or urinals.  (See Footnote 2, Appendix A.Table B.)

b)         Required Restroom Facilities and Drinking Fountains

1)         Employee Restrooms and Drinking Fountains

A)        Restroom facilities and drinking fountains shall be provided for all employees within each place of employment.  The minimum numbers of fixtures provided shall be based on the maximum number of male and female employees working at any one time, as shown in Appendix A.Table B. (The numbers of fixtures required for employees are included in the numbers shown in Table B for all building types/uses except hospital rooms, penal institutions and other institutions.  The entry in Appendix A.Table B (All Facilities for Employee Use) shall be used to determine the minimum number of fixtures required for employees in hospitals, penal and other institutions, and all other buildings/facilities that do not appear in Appendix A.Table B.)

i)          If there are more than five employees working at any one time, separate restrooms for men and women shall be provided.

ii)         If there are no more than five employees working at any time, one restroom may serve both sexes.  A restroom shall have a minimum of one water closet and one lavatory.

iii)        For schools, day care centers and office buildings, the employee restrooms and drinking fountains shall be located on the same floor or one floor above or below each location where employees regularly work.

iv)        Individual businesses within the same building or within an enclosed mall may share public/employee restroom facilities, provided that the access to the restrooms does not require trespass on adjoining business or leased space.  The restrooms shall be designed for the combined occupant load of the individual businesses served, be open at all times when any individual business is open, and be located no more than 300 feet from the entrance of each business served.  Exception:  Any food service establishment that sells or serves food or beverages to be consumed on its premises or within the building/mall shall be located no more than 100 feet from the shared public/employee restrooms and shall be on the same floor.

v)         Kiosks, which are free-standing places of employment, that have five or fewer employees at any time who have access to public restrooms and a drinking fountain within 300 feet of the kiosks, shall not be required to have employee restroom facilities or a drinking fountain.

B)        If public restrooms and drinking fountains are also required for the building type, employees may share the restrooms and drinking fountains with the public, provided that the numbers of fixtures are sufficient for the combined numbers of males and females and the restrooms and drinking fountains are provided within the place of employment (and within the required location for schools, day care centers and office buildings).

2)         Public Restrooms and Drinking Fountains

A)        General Requirements

i)          Buildings with 5,000 square feet of gross public area or with occupancies of 100 or more persons shall provide public restrooms and drinking fountains as shown in Appendix A.Table B.  Buildings other than those exceptions in subsection (b)(2)(B), with less than 5,000 square feet of gross public area, or with occupancies of fewer than 100 persons, need not provide public restrooms and drinking fountains.

ii)         Individual businesses within the same building or within an enclosed mall, may share public/employee restroom facilities, provided that the access to the restrooms does not require trespass on adjoining business or leased space.  The restrooms shall be designed for the combined occupant load of the individual businesses served, always be open when any individual business is open or when employees are present, and be located no more than 300 feet from the entrance of any business served. Exception:  Any food service establishment that sells food or beverages to be consumed on its premises or within the building/mall shall be located no more than 100 feet from the shared public/employee restrooms and shall be on the same floor.

iii)        When public restroom facilities are required by this Part, separate facilities for males and females shall be provided.  If additional public restroom facilities are provided in excess of the minimum requirements of this Part, they shall comply with one of the following:  

•           For each additional two water closets or urinals installed in a restroom, one additional lavatory shall be installed in that restroom.

•           Unisex restrooms shall not have more than one water closet and one lavatory and the option of one urinal.

iv)        Plumbing shall meet the requirements of the Illinois Accessibility Code.

B)        Additional Requirements for Special Building Types

i)          All food service establishments that sell or serve food or beverages to be consumed on the premises (regardless of their gross area) shall provide readily accessible restroom facilities for the public.  If public restrooms are not provided within the premises of the food service establishment, they shall be located within the same building, on the same floor/level and within 100 feet of an entrance to the food service establishment, and they shall be available for public use at all times that the food service establishment is open.  Exception:  Food service establishments with no more than 10 combined employees and seats (for patrons) at any one time need not provide public restrooms, provided that the employee restrooms are accessible and made available to the public.

ii)         All businesses selling motor vehicle fuel to the public (regardless of their gross area) shall provide at least one public restroom for male use and one public restroom for female use. Exception:  Facilities that do not have any employees working as attendants during any part of a 24 hour period and sell only motor fuel to the public using automated machines need not provide male/female public restrooms or drinking fountains.  One employee restroom shall be provided for use by maintenance staff when maintenance staff are present.

(Source:  Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 9940, effective April 24, 2014)