The Plumbing Foundation City of New York Announces Its Name Change to The Plumbing Alliance Of New York City

Name Change Signifies Organization’s Expanded Role and Diverse Membership Since its Establishment Three Decades Ago

Alliance Represents City’s Largest Plumbing Contractors, Manufacturers, Suppliers and Engineers Dedicated to Protecting the Health and Safety of New Yorkers

NEW YORK, NY (OCTOBER 1, 2026) – The Plumbing Foundation City of New York today announced the organization’s official name change to The Plumbing Alliance of New York City (PANYC), signifying the organization’s expanded role and responsibilities, the diversity of its increased membership and its diligent efforts to serve as the unified voice of New York City’s plumbing industry. Established in 1986, the organization represents the largest and most active plumbing contractors in the five boroughs, as well as manufacturers, suppliers and engineers, and its experienced members play a critical role in the ongoing development of plumbing codes that protect millions of New Yorkers. As a strong industry advocate, the Plumbing Alliance will continue to protect the integrity of the Master Plumber license, ensure the enactment and enforcement of fair and safe plumbing codes and regulations, and target unlicensed contractors who jeopardize the safety of residents and businesses.

“As the largest plumbing contractors in New York City, our members have worked diligently to bring industry leaders together for one common goal – to better protect New Yorkers, and this name change reflects that mission,” said Lawrence J. Levine, Chair, Board of Directors, The Plumbing Alliance of New York City. “With more than a dozen tragic deaths related to Legionnaires’ Disease this year, our work to push for stricter enforcement and stronger regulations has never been more important, and we look forward to working with our stakeholders to improve the safety of plumbing systems citywide.”

“Safe and lawful plumbing work is vital to the everyday life of New York City, and this name change reinforces our dedication to supporting this essential work for generations to come,” said April McIver, Executive Director, The Plumbing Alliance of New York City. “Our members have the knowledge and experience necessary to improve the safety of our water and gas systems, and we are eager to work with our public and private partners to ensure all of the City’s buildings are properly inspected, tested and maintained. The lives of millions of New Yorkers depend on it.”

Throughout the year, The Plumbing Alliance participates in dozens of meetings with elected officials, government agency leaders and industry stakeholders to discuss new methods to improve the efficiency and safety of construction in New York City. The organization engages with legislative and regulatory bodies that pass laws and promulgate regulations affecting the plumbing industry and works with various New York City agencies to streamline construction operations and reduce bureaucratic steps to save time and money for New Yorkers. The Alliance values and will continue to maintain its close working relationships with key industry groups and agencies.

As a part of its mission, The Plumbing Alliance regularly delivers testimony before the City Council on important topics—from water system inspections to gas safety—and advocates for proactive rather than reactive code adoption and enforcement. The Plumbing Alliance will continue to partner with the Construction Trades License Training Corp. to provide license renewal courses for New York City licensed master plumbers and licensed fire suppression contractors, operate the New York City Gas Operator Qualification program, and offer educational sessions for the various sectors of the construction industry, as well as the general public, on health and safety matters, including the recent outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease.

For more information, visit www.plumbingalliance.nyc.

NYC Council Oversight Hearing on UES Legionnaires’ Outbreak

On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the NYC Council Committee on Health, joined by Speaker Julie Menin, held an oversight hearing on the recent Upper East Side Legionnaires’ outbreak, which thus far has resulted in 11 tragic deaths. The Committee’s agenda also included a host of bills aimed mainly at cooling towers. Also included were bills to address the transparency at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) as well as public education.

The hearing began with a pre-panel of testimony from the families of victims. Ida Goldstein, whose 88-year-old veteran husband died from the disease, shared her heartbreak, while Daniel Thomas relayed the dying wish of his 92-year-old father who hoped his death would spur systemic change to protect others.

The NYC DOHMH testified following the testimony of the victims’ families. Led by Commissioner Alister Martin and joined by Deputy Commissioners Corinne Schiff and Dr. Andrea Howard, the three remarked on the agency’s efforts in addressing the Upper East Side outbreak and fielded questions from Speaker Julie Menin, Chairperson Lynn Schulmann, and the committee members. Defensive about their actions, but acknowledging the Department is short-staffed, DOHMH were nonetheless grilled about their lack of proactive enforcement, including delays in issuing fines, and their poor communication. Everyone’s focus was still on cooling towers. Few mentions were made of the building water systems but several Council Members acknowledged their part in Legionella bacteria spread, yet the DOHMH refused to respond to the science put before our city government time and time again.

There were several panels of public testimony following the Department. Many of them were voicing the lack of attention to building water systems. Executive Director April McIver explained that potable water systems—where New Yorkers shower, wash their hands, and brush their teeth—are a frequent source of Legionella exposure and expressed that well-intentioned “green” building laws that lower hot water temperatures, promote low-flow fixtures, and most recently encourage the use of plastic PEX piping are creating the perfect breeding grounds for this deadly bacteria. The Plumbing Foundation urgently called on the Council to reintroduce Int. 434 but with critical provisions and to mandate proactive maintenance and testing for entire building water systems.

There were several other notable testimonies:

• Senator Cordell Cleare (New York State Senate, District 30) spoke regarding her legislation and urged the City Council to adopt a source-to-tap prevention strategy.
• Brad Hoylman-Sigal (Manhattan Borough President) supported the proposed City Council legislative package, revealed that over 500 Manhattan buildings were delinquent in required water sampling, and announced the creation of a Manhattan Legionnaires’ Disease Task Force.
• Gwen Hanlon, the spouse of a victim of Legionnaires Disease and representing the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease shared the story of her late husband Kevin, who died from Legionnaires’ disease in 2017, and urged the city to shift to a comprehensive source-to-tap water system prevention approach.
• A Haven Plaza resident and a 3333 Broadway resident described the burden of Legionella in their internal plumbing and criticized DOHMH for poor communication, lack of Spanish language access, and failing to provide financial or medical support to residents enduring months of severe water restrictions.
• Bob Bowcock, a licensed water treatment operator representing the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease shared independent water testing results showing widespread Legionella in Upper East Side building fixtures and called for regulating water systems from source to tap rather than focusing solely on cooling towers.
• Sam Eluto of the Building Trades Employers’ Association recommended contractor representation on advisory panels, adequate staffing for city agencies, and expanding testing to internal building water systems widespread Legionella in Upper East Side building fixtures and called for regulating water systems from source to tap rather than focusing solely on cooling towers.
• William McQuade, Fellow and the immediate past president of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), urged New York City to adopt a comprehensive source-to-tap strategy using ASHRAE Standard 188, emphasizing that cooling towers draw from municipal water and 96% of Legionnaires’ cases are sporadic.
• John Mullen, Director of Technical Services of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) advocated for adopting ASHRAE Standard 188, Guideline 12, and ASSE Series 12000 certifications to train tradespeople and mandate building water management plans.

As the September hearing made abundantly clear, New York City can no longer afford to treat Legionnaires’ disease as an unavoidable seasonal tragedy isolated strictly to cooling towers. With mounting pressure from victims’ families, industry experts, and state lawmakers, the mandate for the City Council and the DOHMH is undeniable: reactive enforcement and a narrow regulatory focus are costing lives. To truly protect New Yorkers, the city must heed the overwhelming testimony calling for a comprehensive strategy. Reintroducing and passing robust measures to monitor and maintain entire building water systems is no longer just a regulatory suggestion, it is an urgent public health imperative.

NYC DOB Proposes Rules to Issue for Fines for Incomplete Inspections

On September 9, 2026, the NYC Department of Buildings received testimony from many industry stakeholders in response to its proposed rules to issue $200 fines for missed scheduled inspections. Citing over $2 million in wasted city resources from missed or unprepared appointments between 2021 and 2026, the DOB’s rule would implement the $200 fee for incomplete inspections, prevent rescheduling until the fee is paid, and threaten professional license revocation for repeated offenses. However, the proposal is facing strong opposition from industry groups like the Plumbing Foundation, which argue the regulations impose an unrealistic 72-hour cancellation window and grant inspectors disproportionate, subjective authority. Furthermore, industry advocates warn that the mandate to pay the fine before rescheduling will cause costly project delays, creating a one-sided, “guilty until proven innocent” system that heavily burdens contractors without holding the DOB accountable for its own missed or canceled appointments.

The ACPCNY Annual Golf Outing Raised $121,500 for Feeding Families Foundation!

The Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York, Inc. (ACP) held its annual “Plumbing Industry Day” Charity Golf Outing on September 14, 2026. The charity chosen this year was the Feeding Families Foundation whose objective is to cover the cost of caregiver meals and having those meals delivered to the hospital room so parents do not need to leave their child’s side.

The ACP is pleased to report that $121,500 was donated to Feeding Families. This will help eliminate hospital food insecurity for these parents so they can get back to what matters most, caring for their child.

FROM L TO R: Rob Greenberg, President of ACP; Jeff Dorman, Co-Founder of Feeding Families Foundation; and Michael Breslaw, Vice President of ACP and Golf Committee Member.

BEWARE: Another Fraudulent NYC DOB Course Provider!

Following a multi-agency investigation and an indictment by the Brooklyn District Attorney, New York City officials have shut down RedCode Inc., a construction safety training provider accused of illegally selling Site Safety Training (SST) cards without conducting the mandatory safety courses. Consequently, the city is invalidating approximately 2,000 active SST cards previously issued by the company.

To protect the livelihoods of these workers and maintain public safety on job sites, the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is providing free, legitimate retraining, granting affected individuals a 90-day grace period to complete the required 40 hours of coursework and obtain authentic replacement cards before their current credentials expire.

THE PIPECASTER is published by The Plumbing Alliance of New York City, Inc.

Lawrence J. Levine, Chairman; Louis J. Buttermark, Vice Chairman; Barr Rickman, Treasurer; April McIver, Executive Director; Terence O’Brien, Editor. Board of Directors: Anthony D. Altimari, Paul Belli, Marc Breslaw, Louis J. Buttermark, Harris Clark, Alex Greenberg, Nicholas Katragis, Angelo Lemodetis, Lawrence J. Levine, Scott Lyons, Barr Rickman, Richard Turchiano

The Plumbing Foundation Welcomes NYC Comptroller Mark Levine

On September 22, 2026, The Plumbing Foundation Board of Directors welcomed New York City Comptroller Mark Levine to its Board meeting. Comptroller Levine presented an overview of the current state of the City, along with economic forecasts, specifically focusing on the construction sector. He addressed inquiries from board members concerning public contracting procedures, emphasizing the necessity of payment timeliness and operational transparency.

Additionally, he received feedback regarding industry priorities for municipal budget allocations, particularly concerning regulatory enforcement bodies such as the NYC Department of Buildings. The Plumbing Foundation expresses its sincere appreciation for Comptroller Levine’s engagement and anticipates continued collaborative efforts with the Office of the Comptroller!