Bronx Local News: Bronx Boiler Explosion Exposes Lack of Inspections Thru-Out NYCHA - Report Says

Plumbers Propose Emergency Inspection of All NYCHA Boilers Post-Explosion

 

After THE CITY revealed the heating plant that blew up in a public housing building last month had not been inspected in years, the Plumbing Foundation says licensed professionals need to step in.

This article originally appeared in The City.

By Greg B. Smith

Bronx Voice 

November 21, 2025

BRONX LOCAL NEWS - In response to the recent boiler explosion and chimney collapse at a Bronx public housing development, an association representing licensed plumbers is calling for an emergency inspection sweep of all New York City Housing Authority boilers to be conducted by its members.

NYCHA's boilers are supposed to be inspected annually by the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and NYCHA boiler unit staff who've received training.

The Plumbing Foundation City of New York says the authority's 1,000 boilers are not routinely examined by licensed plumbers. The group also cited THE CITY's report that 180 boilers — including the device that blew up in The Bronx — have been running without the required certificates to operate or registration because they have not been inspected by DEP for years.

"This is a public safety crisis and the lives of thousands of NYCHA residents are in jeopardy," said April McIver, executive director of the foundation. She called the explosion at 205 Alexander Ave. in the Mitchel Houses "completely preventable," adding "our experienced members do not believe this will be an isolated incident."

The Alexander Avenue boiler exploded the morning of Oct. 1, causing a 20-story chimney running up the side of the building to collapse, raining tens of thousands of bricks down upon the ground next to a basketball court. Somehow, no one was injured.

NYCHA said the boiler had last been examined by DOB in June and inspectors found no safety issues. The authority also acknowledged that the boiler had exploded four years ago, and that it had not been inspected by DEP in 17 years.

NYCHA spokesperson Andrew Sklar acknowledged that the authority employs only a limited number of licensed plumbers who are primarily focused on issues other than boilers. But he said that all NYCHA boilers are subject to an annual inspection by third-party licensed or certified boiler/pressure inspectors and added that NYCHA staff who inspect and maintain the boilers get extensive training.

McIver, said: "NYCHA does not employ enough third-party, private licensed professionals to perform necessary boiler work on a regular basis. In addition, the agency has seemingly failed to provide its internal maintenance crews with adequate training needed to inspect and maintain this equipment over an extended period of time. Relying on these crews with their current training does not appear to work."

NYCHA, the Buildings Department and the city Department of Investigation (DOI) are now conducting an investigation into the cause of the calamity. THE CITY has reported that safety devices on an off-line boiler may have malfunctioned, allowing gas to build up inside and travel up the chimney. The explosion may have occurred when a NYCHA staffer switched on the boiler.

The foundation is proposing working with DOB, DEP and DOI to have licensed professionals inspect every boiler, perform necessary repairs and ensure that every device has a proper certificate to operate. They note that the city launched a similar sweep of parking garages after the collapse of an aging garage in Lower Manhattan in 2023. An investigation blamed that collapse on a series of mistakes by the owner and an engineering firm hired to inspect the 98-year-old property.