Int. No. 1387
By Council Members Menin, Abreu, Dinowitz and Restler
Title
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to including geothermal piping systems in the scope of plumbing work and reporting on recommendations to incorporate geothermal systems into the construction codes
Body
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 28-401.3 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding new definitions of "GEOTHERMAL PIPING" and "GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM" in alphabetical order to read as follows:
GEOTHERMAL PIPING. All pipes, valves, or fittings on a premises or in a building utilized for geothermal systems, including the piping, valves, or fittings connecting a ground coupling, service line, or circulator pump to a mechanical heat exchange device. Geothermal piping shall not include:
1. Service lines, distribution mains, or ground couplings; or
2. Any geothermal system component that is installed, serviced, or maintained by a utility corporation and subject to the jurisdiction of the New York state public service commission.
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM. A system that exchanges the stored thermal energy of the Earth with a building, to provide space heating and cooling, or hot water, through the use of geothermal ground coupling and a mechanical heat exchange device such as a geothermal heat pump, modular reversible chiller, or other heat exchanger.
? 2. The definition of "PLUMBING WORK" set forth in section 28-401.3 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by local law number 33 of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
PLUMBING WORK. The installation, maintenance, repair, modification, extension or alteration of plumbing, standpipe where a sprinkler is not connected or is not now being connected, domestic water, connections to the domestic water, combination domestic water and reserve standpipe supply tank up to and including the roof tank check valve, gas piping, geothermal piping, or any piping system referred to in the New York city plumbing code, and/or up to thirty sprinkler heads off the domestic water in any building in the city of New York.
? 3. a. For purposes of this section, the term "geothermal system" has the same meaning as set forth in section one of this local law.
b. No later than January 1, 2027, the commissioner of buildings shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and publish on the department of buildings website, a report providing recommendations on how best to amend the New York city construction codes for the purpose of regulating the safety, quality, and standardization of geothermal systems through the requirement of any further professional standards, permits, or licenses to perform geothermal system installations.
? 4. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except section three of this local law takes effect immediately.
NNB
LS #10930, 14455, 18590
6/25/25 1:52 PM
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