President's Report

The longest cold snap of weather that Connecticut has seen in a long time that I can remember certainly didn’t deter our members from coming out the first Chapter Meeting of 2026.  We had an incredible turnout of 29 attendees!!  While there it was great to see the “regulars”, it was even better to see new attendees and people who had never been to an ASPE meeting.  It just goes to show that everyone is doing their part in getting the word out about our chapter.  Thank you all for your continuing support of our chapter!

Punxsutawney Phil told us that we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter, but that did not stop your Board of Directors from keep moving forward.  In addition to our normal Monthly Chapter Business meeting, we have Events scheduled for the end of February (AYP), March (Pickleball) and May (Breast Cancer Walk).  Be sure to check out the Events section for more information.

I am excited to finally say that the CT Chapter will be hosting a Women of ASPE (WOA) event this year!  This is a huge milestone for the chapter.  Not only will we be supporting a team for this event, but the BOD also voted to be a sponsor for the event as well.  We are proud to support this great cause.  Please Check out the WOA page for more info.  Thank you to Jessica Flint for taking on WOA Liaison and organizing this event.

Our original scheduled combined ASPE/ASHRAE meeting for March has been postponed, but do not worry our VP of Technology Devon has already filled the spot for the March meeting.  We are investigating other options, and it appears that we will likely be joining with the NFSA for a presentation.  More to follow.

Regarding the meeting venue.  Feedback has been very positive for our current meeting venue.  Everyone likes the room, the food and the service.  However, we also have heard that there are members who would like to attend but the location is too far of a drive.   Our Affiliate Liaison Chris Ortiz recently did some research into alternative meeting venues in the Milford, CT area to address these concerns.  This was recently discussed at the BOD meeting.  So, consider this as fair warning to all – June 2026 meeting will be held at a venue in Milford CT.  Reps get the word out to all the engineers who are in lower Fairfield County!

October is the ASPE Convention in Oklahoma City.  We are currently positioned to send (6) delegates from the CT Chapter as we currently have 92 members.  Let’s continue to maintain and grow that number.

I look forward to see you all at future meetings and events!

Regards,

Jonathan (Jay) Kurtz, CPD

CT Chapter President

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Technical News

The January technical meeting featured an in-depth technical presentation by Andrew Paulsen of Water Control Corporation on Commercial Water Softening Systems & Applications.

The presentation focused on the fundamentals of commercial water softening system design and operation, beginning with a review of basic water chemistry and the role of ions in hardness formation. The effects of hard water on piping systems, equipment efficiency, and maintenance requirements were discussed to highlight the importance of proper softening in commercial applications.

Andrew then explained how water softeners function, detailing the ion exchange process, resin operation, and regeneration cycles. Key system components—including mineral tanks, resin media, control valves, brine tanks, and regeneration controls—were reviewed, along with how these components interact to ensure reliable system performance.

Additional technical topics included:

• Multi-tank softening systems, including duplex and triplex configurations, and how they provide redundancy and continuous soft water during regeneration cycles

• Brine reclamation and efficiency strategies aimed at reducing salt consumption and wastewater discharge

• Flow rate considerations, pressure losses across softeners, and challenges associated with low-flow conditions in modern plumbing systems

• Commercial softener sizing methodology, with multiple sizing examples illustrating demand-based and fixture-based approaches

• System configuration options, including metered versus time-based regeneration and centralized versus distributed softening systems

The presentation concluded with a discussion of how commercial water softening systems integrate with broader water treatment solutions and how proper design, sizing, and control strategies can improve system longevity, operational efficiency, and code compliance.

Thank you to Andrew Paulsen for a highly informative technical session, to Emerson Swan for generously sponsoring the bar tab for the evening, and to all members who attended and participated in the discussion.

Submitted by

Devon Neal, CPD

CT Chapter VP of Technical

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Legislative Update

2026 State Building Code Adoption

State Building, Fire Safety and Fire Prevention Codes Update:

The next state building, fire safety, and fire prevention codes are expected to take effect in mid-2026.

The Code Amendment Subcommittee began meeting to discuss the proposed 2026 Connecticut state codes on January 10, 2024. For meeting dates, agendas, and meeting minutes, visit the Codes Amendment Subcommittee page
The new Connecticut state codes that will be in effect will be the:

• 2026 Connecticut State Building Code
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code

Adopted Model Codes

The following model codes are anticipated to be adopted by the 2026 Connecticut state codes:

• 2024 International Building Code (IBC) by ICC
• 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) by ICC
• 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by ICC
• 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) by ICC
• 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) by ICC
• 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) by ICC
• 2024 International Swimming Pool & Spa Code (ISPSC) by ICC
• 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC) by NFPA
• 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities by ICC
• 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) by ICC
• 2021 NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code by the NFPA
• 2024 NFPA 1 - Fire Code by the NFPA

The model codes are viewable on their publisher's web sites:

• International Code Council (ICC) Codes
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes

The development of Connecticut specific versions of the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Fire Safety Code (IFC), NFPA 1 and NFPA 101, is expected once the codes are adopted. 

2026 State Building Code Adoption

Public Comment 

• 2026 Connecticut State Building Code - Public Comments and Responses
• 2026 Connecticut State Building Code - Draft for Public Comment
• 2026 Connecticut State Building Code - Draft for Legislative Regulation Review Committee
• 2026 Connecticut State Building Code - Notice, Flexibility Analysis & Fiscal Note

2026 State Fire Safety Code Adoption

Public Comment 

• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code - Public Comments and Responses
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code - Draft for Public Comment
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code - Draft for Legislative Regulation Review Committee
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code - Notice, Flexibility Analysis & Fiscal Note
• 2026 CT Emergency Response Capabilities Requirements for Single-Exit Buildings            

2026 State Fire Prevention Code Adoption

Public Comment 

• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code - Public Comments and Responses
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code - Draft for Public Comment
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Prevention code - Draft for Legislative Regulation Review Committee
• 2026 Connecticut State Fire Prevention Code - Notice, Flexibility Analysis & Fiscal Note

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Women of ASPE

CT WOA invite you to join us on May 9, 2026 

Reach out to CT Chapter WOA Liason Jessica Flint at [email protected]

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Calendar of Events

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Multi-Chapter Members

John Cabral - Boston

John Callahan - Boston

Scott Cooper - Boston

Kyle Lipkvich - Boston

Thomas Lynch - Boston

Jason Clark - New York City

Peter Darash - New York City

Joseph Myers - New York City

Joseph Valle - New York City

Kenneth Bernard - Philadelphia

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What is ASPE Connect?

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Member Updates

CT ASPE would like to recognize the following member who recently renewed their ASPE membership and their commitment to supporting the Plumbing industry.  We could not do it with out all you! Thank you!!!

•     Joshua Brooks
•    Adam Chary CPD
•    Richard Desrosiers
•    Jessica Hebert
•    David Kennedy ASSE 6060
•    Zbigniew Kuziora CPD
•    Alura Levy
•    William J. Morrissey
•    Kyle Nguyen
•    Nicole Parker CPD, ASSE 6060, CFPS, LEED Green Associate
•    Kenneth Reynolds
•    Roger Stolting
•    Keith Sweitzer
•    Bob Williams
•    Peter Winslow
•    Darrell York

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FINAL NOTICE!

The following members have until March 31, 2026 to renew your membership.  Please do not wait until the last minute to ensure that your years of service to the Chapter do not get interupted!  

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2026 Convention and EXPO

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