AI Generated Image
Upper West Side building independently finds Legionella bacteria in hot water system
ABC7 New York • • health
Key Points:
- The NYC Department of Health has ordered 31 buildings on the Upper East Side to drain and disinfect their cooling towers after testing positive for Legionella bacteria amid a Legionnaires' disease outbreak, with 12 more buildings required to complete remediation by July 11.
- City Council Speaker Julie Menin criticized the response, stating that not ordering immediate disinfection of all towers may have led to more residents falling ill.
- The Health Department began aggressive testing and remediation efforts after learning of the outbreak on July 2, including disinfecting towers based on preliminary PCR results without waiting for confirmed cultures.
- Building owners on the Upper West Side, such as The Ardsley on Central Park West, have proactively tested and found Legionella in their hot water systems, planning their own remediation despite not being linked to the outbreak.
- The specific cooling tower responsible for the outbreak has not yet been identified, and residents remain cautious, with some closing windows to avoid exposure.
