Vol. 15, Issue 2 The VOICE April 2015

1 Master Plumbers Council of the City of New York, Inc. * 240-21 Braddock Avenue, Bellerose, NY 11426 * (718) 793-6300A newsletter PUBLICATION OF THE MASTER PLUMBERS COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, the Licensed Master PlumberVol. 15, Issue 2 April 2015In this Edition:Pipe Wedling RequirementsChanges to Shcedule CAdministrative Sign Off for LAACode Changes: Water Distribution SystemsProblems with LAA ProcessIMPORTANT CHANGES TO PIPE WELDING REQUIREMENTS(WORDS UNDERLINED REPRESENT CHANGES FROM THE 2008 CODE)SECTION FGC 406 INSPECTION, TESTING AND PURGING Welder s qualifications. 3. Copies of the certified welder qualification reports shall be maintained by both the approved agency and the licensed master plumber employing the welder(s) for at least six years and shall be made available to the department upon request.

2 4. The approved agency shall submit certified welder qualification reports to the department upon successful qualification of a welder and when requested by the The licensed master plumber employing the welder(s) shall submit a statement to the department including who welded the gas piping along with a copy(s) of the certified welder qualification report(s) witnessed by a representative of the licensed master plumber, at the time of the first roughing Welding requirements. All welded gas distribution and meter piping main and branch supplies to customer equipment operating in excess of 5 psig inside buildings shall be welded; and shall be subject to special inspection in accordance with Chapter 17 of the NYC City Building Code.

3 All piping 2 inches ( mm) or greater in diameter shall be butt-welded, and piping less than 2 ( mm) inches in diameter may be socket-welded or NEW RECORD KEEPING Welding records. The licensed master plumber employing the welder(s) shall assign to each welder an identification symbol or number to identify the welds performed by that particular welder. The welder shall identify all welds with his or her symbol or number. The licensed master plumber shall maintain records identifying the weld(s) made by each welder for at least six years and shall make such records available to the department upon Plumbers Council of the City of New York, Inc. The VOICE of the Licensed Master Plumber2 Master Plumbers Council of theCity of New York, Braddock Avenue, Bellerose, NY 11426 Phone: 718-793-6300 * Fax: VOICE of the Licensed Master Plumber,a membership publication of the text for articles is due by the 1st day of themonth prior to welcome your suggestions and Board PresidentDarren LundinExecutive DirectorJohn F.

4 DeLillo, BassolinoBrittni RhoadsGraphicsJanene MeyerowitzJM Image Management, DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:The information provided in this newsletter is to be used only to educate businesses and the general public on plumbing and related construction issues that may affect their daily business or personal lives. All opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors only and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the NYCMPC, its officers, Board of Directors, the NYCMPC newsletter or its editors. The NYCMPC does not guarantee the accuracy or the correctness of advertising, articles or references to information sources herein, nor does the NYCMPC intend to endorse, rate, or otherwise officially comment on products available.

5 Therefore, the readers are cautioned to rely on information contained herein at their own risk. All information that is available to you through this newsletter is provided as is without warranty or condition of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The information contained in the newsletter is believed to be correct and accurate. However, the NYCMPC cannot and will not assume responsibility for the consequences of errors contained in the articles or misapplication of any information provided. NYCMPC expressly disclaims any liability for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, including without limitation, lost revenues, or lost profits, resulting from the use or Message from the ExecutiveDirector of the Master Plumbers CouncilThis edition of The VOICE contains articles which address LAA issues that the industry is currently facing, as well as various updates.

6 Our purpose as an association is to promote the industry and provide clarity on any issues members are encountering. In my time here at the MPC, I have learned that this can be a very complicated industry to work in, with several levels of compliance to be met. Therefore, there is great benefit in being a part of an association that works tirelessly to provide members with essential industry of the most pressing issues facing the industry today is obtaining an approved LAA in a timely manner and having it signed off after all inspections are completed. Our association, along with other industry leaders, are working closely with the Department of Buildings to simplify this process. Commissioner Rick Chandler recently announced his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2016.

7 His core mission is to advance public safety by enforcing the laws that govern the construction industry. There was a huge uptick in constructions permits in 2014. It is too early to know if this means the economy is picking up or if everyone was in a hurry to file new applications under the 2008 code. When the Commissioner took office in November 2014, we met with him to discuss matters that were a priority to the industry. One of the main priorities brought to his attention was addressing the perceived lack of enforcement of licensing laws. We are optimistic that the DOB may finally address this Issue that threatens public safety and therefore disrupts the Department s core mission. The DOB has also proposed that they will create an Existing Building Code to deal with the hardships of trying to apply a new construction code to work done in an existing building.

8 This code is long overdue as nothing exacerbates this problem such as the difficulty plumbers have in trying to install code compliant gas piping in existing Commissioner also mentioned that the Department is moving toward final implementation of the new inspection HUB, Inspection Ready, which will allow for the electronic submission of inspection requests and construction documents. Over the past few months, both the Mayor and the Commissioner have delivered major policy speeches indicating that they would like everything to eventually be electronically filed. We are hopeful that appropriate action will be taken in regards to this matter because the industry cannot wait until 2017. In this newsletter Issue , the entire LAA process is discussed, including flaws in the process and suggestions on how they can be improved.

9 Best Regards,John F. DeLillo, Director, NYCMPCM aster Plumbers Council of the City of New York, Inc. The VOICE of the Licensed Master Plumber3 DOB COMMISSIONER PRESENTS FISCAL YEAR 2016 BUDGETLEWSAN CONSULTANTSSERVICING THE PLUMBING INDUSTRY FOR OVER 30 YEARS! BUILDING CONSULTANTS / EXPEDITING SERVICES SERVICING ALL 5 BOROUGHS DOB, ECB AND ARCHITECTURAL & ENGINEERING SERVICES PERMITS, LAAS, METER PERMITS, OP98S, CERTIFIED ASBESTOS INVESTIGATORS AND MUCH MORE! 158-01 CROSSBAY BLVD, 2ND FL, HOWARD BEACH, NY, 11414T: 718 848 1500 / F: 718 843 Rick Chandler recently presented his Fiscal Year 2016 Budget to the City Council.

10 In his message he stated that the department s core mission is to advance public safety by enforcing the laws that govern the construction industry. Since construction activity appears to be on the rise, public safety will be more important than ever. His budget addresses this in several areas by allocating increased spending and responsibilities for the Office of the Building Marshall. This office will coordinate all external Department investigations. They will build cases against chronic code offenders and will also conduct proactive and covert inspections and investigations of illegal construction. A new Code of Conduct has been issued and should be released within the next few weeks. In addition to new Department guidelines, they will also list breaches that could lead to revocation of licenses.