Connecting to a dedicated earth ground is now required.
Earthing via water pipe is no longer acceptable since water
pipes can and may be replaced by plastic. Code has changed
since water pipe was considered a good earth ground. As
posted before, earth ground should be a dedicated electrode.

NEC also still demands connection to water pipe. But that
is only to remove electricity from that water pipe; not to be
the earth ground.

Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department Postmaster wrote:
You have made this assertion before and I have pointed out before
that, in any jurisdiction that has adopted the US National
Electric Code, using an underground metal water pipe that is ten
or more feet long as a grounding electrode is required. Not
connecting the grounded buss bar in the service equipment to that
water pipe is a violation of the law that adopts the US NEC by
reference.
--
Tom