HESGNY May 2026 Educational Seminar
Meeting is Thursday May 14th!
1 hr CEU Credits
NEW LOCATION: Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center
Room 201 Auditorium
104 Haven Ave, New York, NY 10032
No Zoom link, you must attend in person!!
NYC DOH Legionella Rules Update 2026
Presented and sponsored by JB&B Environmental
The New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene released proposed updates to cooling tower regulations under Chapter 8 of Title 24, effective
May 8, 2026, pursuant to Local Law 159-2025.
The most notable change, following last summer’s outbreak, is mandatory monthly Legionella culture testing. Additional proposed requirements include:
- Annual certification of the Cooling Tower Management & Maintenance Plan (MMP) by a qualified person
- Municipal water required for tower fill during start-up/commissioning
- DOH approval required for use of non-potable makeup water
- Documented valve schedules for all operating configurations
- Risk procedures for components idle more than three (3) days
- Increased disinfectant testing when bacteria indicators exceed limits
- “In operation” is broader than “running”; once the system contains water, it is treated as in operation.
- Mandatory reporting of seasonal start-up and shutdown dates
- Full record availability at inspection and complete system drainage during shutdown
- Doubled fines and new violation categories
All existing Cooling Tower Management & Maintenance Plans (MPP) will require updates.
Speaker:
Al Barba joined JB&B in September 2021 as President of the newly formed JB&B Environmental. He brings over 34 years of progressive leadership and management within a customer-oriented technical sales and service industry based on chemical and environmental engineering. His unique combination of skills includes a strong technical background with multiple professional and technical licenses and accreditations as well as direct sales and sales management expertise.
A consummate team builder with a focus on water systems design, implementation, quality and compliance, he has worked with clients at all levels of their organizations to implement programs with respect to the long-term operation and life cycle of client assets in the healthcare, commercial, residential high-rise, institutional, data center and manufacturing vertical markets. He has worked extensively in the New York metro, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., as well as in Canada, with many different organizations, large and small, to bring value to their operations as a trusted advisor.
In his role with JB&B Environmental, Mr. Barba will be developing and growing the firm’s newest business line in Environmental Consulting Services focused on quality and compliance for two of our most vital natural resources: water and air. These essential services will include water and air quality testing; third-party oversight of program implementation; and a focus on keeping our valued clients’ water and air systems operating safely, efficiently, and in compliance with local, state and federal codes as well as extending their systems’ useful life.
