NYC DEP Form GEN215B is the report that documents the testing of a containment backflow prevention assembly on a New York City water service line. You file one form for each assembly, both after the initial installation and every year afterward, and it must reach DEP’s Cross-Connection Control Unit in Flushing within 30 days of the test. The form is completed by licensed professionals — a New York State Certified Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester in every case, plus a Professional Engineer or Registered Architect and a NYC Licensed Master Plumber for initial installations.
When You File the Form
GEN215B has two uses. The first is the initial certification after a new backflow prevention (BFP) assembly is installed, which requires all four parts of the form (A through D). The second is the annual re-certification test that follows every year on the assembly’s due date, which needs only Parts A and B.
One form covers one assembly. If your property has more than one BFP assembly, each device gets its own GEN215B. Combining them on a single form is a routine reason DEP sends paperwork back.
The deadline is 30 days from the test date for an initial installation, and prompt submission after each annual test thereafter. As the property owner, you are the one on the hook for making sure DEP has a valid, current report on file for every assembly, even though the form itself is filled in by the professionals you hire.
Who Signs Which Part
The form is divided into four sections, and different professionals are responsible for each:
- Part A — General information. Completed in all cases. Property address, borough, block and lot, and the make, full model number, size, serial number, and location of the assembly.
- Part B — Test results. Completed in all cases by a New York State Certified Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester. Records gauge readings, pass or fail, and any maintenance performed.
- Part C — Initial certification only. Completed by a New York State Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA), who confirms the installation matches the approved plans, including size, type, make, model, location, orientation, drainage, lighting, and any required monitoring.
- Part D — Initial certification only. Completed by a NYC Licensed Master Plumber, who confirms the plumbing work meets code.
For an initial filing, all three professionals must sign the same form for the same assembly. If any signature is missing, the form is rejected and the process starts over.
Filling In Part A
Begin by checking the box at the top of the form to show whether the filing is an initial or annual test. That choice controls which later sections apply.
Enter the street address, borough, block, and lot. If you do not have your BBL numbers, you can look them up through NYC Department of Finance property records.
For the assembly itself, copy the manufacturer name, complete model number, size, and serial number exactly as they appear on the nameplate. Partial model numbers are one of the most common reasons GEN215B gets kicked back — writing “Watts 009” instead of the full designation is enough to invalidate the report.
Location takes two levels of detail. First, the general location: floor, level, vault, or hot box. Second, the specific spot within that area, such as a meter room, boiler room, pump room, garage, or storefront. A DEP reviewer should be able to walk in and identify the exact device your form describes.
Filling In Part B
The certified tester handles Part B from start to finish. Your job as owner is to check that what the tester writes is legible before the form is mailed. The tester’s New York State certification number and contact information have to be readable; if DEP cannot verify the tester’s credentials, the report is invalid. Part B is required on every filing, initial and annual alike.
Filling In Parts C and D
These two sections apply only to initial installations. In Part C, the PE or RA verifies that the installed assembly conforms to the approved plans and signs the certification statement. Any minor changes from the original plan get noted there. In Part D, the Licensed Master Plumber signs off that the plumbing installation meets code.
Neither part is completed on annual re-certifications. Once the initial certification is on file, subsequent yearly filings need only Parts A and B.
Where to Mail the Completed Form
Send one form per assembly to the DEP Cross-Connection Control Unit:
NYC-DEP-BWSO Planning & Permitting
Cross-Connection Control Unit
59-17 Junction Boulevard, 3rd Floor Low-Rise
Flushing, NY 11373-5108
To request blank copies by mail, call 311. The PDF is also available on the NYC DEP water and sewer forms page.
Testing companies that chronically miss the submission window can have future GEN215B filings rejected by DEP, and that lands on the property owner as well as the tester.
The Annual Re-Test
Every BFP assembly has to be tested annually at the property owner’s expense, with a fresh GEN215B submitted each time. The annual test needs only a certified tester and Parts A and B — the PE/RA and plumber sign-offs from the initial installation do not get repeated.
If an assembly fails, it has to be repaired or replaced and re-tested, and a new GEN215B goes in with the corrected results. DEP will keep requiring re-tests and new submissions until the assembly passes. Skipping a year does not clear the obligation; it only makes the next round with the Cross-Connection Control Unit harder.
Mistakes That Get Forms Rejected
Most rejections trace back to incomplete or unreadable information. The recurring problems:
- Partial model numbers instead of the full designation from the nameplate.
- Missing signatures on initial filings — all three of tester, PE/RA, and plumber must sign the same sheet.
- BBL numbers that do not match city records for the address.
- Two assemblies squeezed onto one form instead of a separate GEN215B for each.
- Illegible tester certification numbers, which prevent DEP from verifying credentials.
Checking these before the form leaves your hands is faster than waiting weeks for DEP to send it back.
What GEN215B Does Not Cover
GEN215B is a reporting form, not a permit application. It documents that an installed assembly works; it does not authorize the installation itself. The upstream cross-connection review, the PE or RA hazard determination, and the DOB work permit under which the plumber installs the device all happen before GEN215B enters the picture.
It also does not cover sewer or water main work. New connections, private water mains, and sewer tie-ins go through House Connection Proposals or Site Connection Proposals in the PARIS portal, with a separate sewer connection permit filed by a Licensed Master Plumber. GEN215B stays narrowly focused on a single backflow prevention assembly and whether it passed its test.