How FMs Can Comply With New York Local Law 157

By Tom Wainman

Operational safety plays a critical role in the successful management of any facility. It directly impacts costs, as well as workforce and occupant comfort and well-being. In New York City, with the recent passing of Local Law 157, building owners and facility managers now face an additional layer of responsibility when it comes to implementing safety solutions. This law mandates the installation of natural gas detectors in most residential buildings with three or more units, with a goal to enhance safety by providing early warning of gas leaks and potential explosions.

As facility managers in New York City navigate the requirements of Local Law 157 to meet the May 2025 deadline, it is helpful to understand the current landscape of natural gas usage, the drivers for gas leak detection, and the specific details of Local Law 157.

This article covers the key requirements of Local Law 157, the value of monitored leak detection solutions supported by wireless sensing technologies, along with additional sensor-enabled applications facility managers may want to consider for improving operations and potentially increase cost savings.

The State Of Natural Gas And Facility Management

Natural gas is a primary fuel source for the operation of commercial and residential buildings throughout the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the residential sector consumed nearly 18.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2021. While natural gas offers advantages like efficient heating and cooling, its proper management is crucial.

A primary consideration is safety, with natural gas being explosive at 5% of the volume of air in a room, careful considerations must be made in terms of how it is distributed throughout a building and monitored for leaks. Even small leaks can cause illness for unsuspecting residents.

Beyond the potential for injury or illness, there are also significant financial risks. If gas leak concentrations exceed dangerous limits, first responders may be forced to shut off a building’s gas service and before service is restored, utility companies must conduct a high-pressure test. In New York, most buildings have older piping that can fail when pressure tests are conducted, leading to prolonged outages forced by re-piping areas where leaks occurred or even an entire facility.

Implementing a reliable gas leak detection solution can significantly mitigate these issues while improving operational efficiency and avoiding potentially high repair and replacement costs.

Overview Of New York Local Law 157

Local Law 157, also known as the Gas Detector Law, was passed by the New York City Council in 2016. It mandates the installation of carbon monoxide (CO) and natural gas detectors in the majority of residential buildings within the city, with the NYC Department of Buildings estimating it will cover nearly 90% of buildings. The only exemptions are buildings with fewer than three units, buildings that are owner-occupied, and buildings without gas piping or service.

The law outlines specific requirements for detectors, including their placement within a certain distance of gas appliances and ceilings. The final rule, released by the Department of Buildings (DOB) in February 2024, sets a deadline of May 1, 2025, for all residential buildings to comply. Non-compliance can result in significant fines for building owners and managers.

Comparative Analysis: Similar Regulations In Other States And Globally

New York City’s Local Law 157 is not an isolated case. There is a growing trend towards stricter regulations around leak detection in other states and countries, including:

• United States: Several states, including California and Massachusetts, have enacted regulations mandating natural gas leak detection and reporting in residential and commercial buildings. States such as Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Tennessee have pending legislation to mandate natural gas alarms.
• European Union: The EU has implemented directives focusing on energy efficiency and leak prevention in gas appliances and infrastructure.
• Japan: Japan has adopted regulations requiring regular inspections and maintenance of gas appliances to minimize the risk of leaks.

Learning from these examples allows facility managers to anticipate potential future regulations and prepare their buildings accordingly. By adopting a proactive approach to gas leak detection, facility managers can ensure compliance, enhance safety, and contribute to broader sustainability goals.

LoRaWAN: A Solution For Compliance

Within the standards set by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), there are two types of gas detectors: unmonitored and monitored. When gas concentrations reach the aforementioned Lowest Explosion Limit, unmonitored devices sound an alarm that is only noticed within the building or in its immediate vicinity, relying on occupants to notify first responders. Monitored devices, on the other hand are wirelessly connected to a building monitoring platform and not only alert occupants, but also notify building management, the utility and any service providers who are assigned responder roles. Because monitored devices also communicate the specific location of the alarming device along with the level of gas build-up, first responders can safely find where the leak is and quickly stop it.

LoRaWAN, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology is ideal for connecting battery-powered residential methane detectors (RMDs) to building monitoring solutions, particularly in the context of Local Law 157 compliance. The benefits of LoRaWAN include:

• Long-range Connectivity and Scalability: LoRaWAN networks can transmit data over long distances and the frequencies of its signals enable data to travel through the density of materials that are commonly used in building construction, even metal. Gateways receiving the data from an RMD only need to be deployed every three to five floors of a building, allowing for cost-effective deployment of monitoring infrastructure across large buildings or multi-unit residential complexes.
• Low Power Consumption: LoRaWAN devices are designed to operate on minimal power, leading to long battery life and reduced maintenance requirements. This is a significant benefit for gas leak detectors installed in hard-to-reach locations within buildings. With devices that last for ten years or more, facility managers can take advantage of the benefits while minimizing costs for replacement.
• Real-time Data Transmission and Analytics Capabilities: LoRaWAN networks enable near real-time data transmission from gas leak detectors. This allows facility managers to monitor gas patterns remotely, identify trends, and detect anomalies that could indicate leaks. The data can be integrated with building management systems for further analysis and optimization of energy consumption.

Practical Steps For Facility Managers To Achieve Compliance

Based on the information provided in a guide to Local Law 157 published by ProSentry, here are recommendations for compliance:

1. Take Inventory: Identify all gas appliances within your building, including their location and type (e.g., boiler, furnace, water heater).
2. Verify Existing Detectors: Check if the building currently has any gas detectors. If so, assess their functionality and compliance with the law’s requirements for carbon monoxide (CO) and natural gas detection (NFPA 715-2023).
3. Install Compliant Detectors:  If existing detectors are non-compliant or non-existent, install new detectors that meet the necessary criteria.
4. Maintain and Test Detectors: Establish a regular maintenance and testing schedule for gas detectors. This may include performing monthly visual inspections, conducting functional tests according to the manufacturer’s instructions (typically quarterly or annually), and replacing batteries in battery-powered detectors as recommended.
5. Record Keeping:  Maintain documentation related to gas detectors, including installation records, maintenance logs, and test results. Regularly review gas usage data obtained through the LoRaWAN system. Develop a reporting system to track trends, identify areas for improvement, and generate reports required for compliance with Local Law 157.

Further, by leveraging LoRaWAN technology and deploying a monitored solution, facility managers can ensure Local Law 157 compliance while creating a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective environment for their buildings and occupants.

Benefits Beyond Compliance

While compliance is crucial, LoRaWAN-connected systems offer additional advantages for facility management:

• Economic Benefits: Accurate gas usage data obtained through advanced monitoring systems allows facility managers to identify and address inefficiencies, leading to cost savings of up to 20% on gas bills.
• Predictive Maintenance: By analyzing gas consumption patterns, facility managers can proactively schedule maintenance for gas appliances, minimizing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and ensuring optimal equipment performance.
• Sustainability: By promoting responsible gas use and leak detection, LoRaWAN systems contribute by monitoring gas usage and aligning with broader company, regional, and global sustainability goals.

Looking Forward

LoRaWAN-connected systems offer a reliable and cost-effective solution for facility managers to not only comply with regulations like Local Law 157, but also optimize gas usage, enhance safety, and contribute to a more sustainable future for their buildings.
 
By partnering with experienced LoRaWAN network providers and leveraging the power of data-driven insights gleaned from round the clock leak detection, facility managers can ensure their facilities are safe, efficient, and compliant with evolving regulations. This data-driven approach represents the future of facility management, empowering managers to create smarter, greener buildings.

Wainman brings close to 30 years of wireless technology experience to the Netmore Group. Prior to Netmore, he enjoyed a history of driving growth and incremental market share in Fortune 500 companies with Nextel, Sprint, and AT&T.  Wainman took his wireless carrier knowledge to the largest wireless infrastructure provider, American Tower, where he was very successful in securing long term wireless infrastructure agreements with large public venues, convention centers, arenas, racetracks, casinos, malls, and hotels to design, deploy, and maintain neutral host distributed antenna systems.

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